Hey! That's My Life
by clockstopper
Summary: Alternate Dimensions are tricky. Buffy and Spike get stuck in a dimension where one of them is the Slayer and it isn't Buffy. That's right there's a dimension where Spike has Buffy's life. Will Buffy learn a lesson? Will the gang help get the less then pl
1. The Other Other Slayer's Life

A/N: Picture, if you will, a dimension where Buffy and Spike are still Buffy and Spike, but not really. A dimension where one of them is the slayer, but it's not Buffy. Roped in yet? That's not the end of it. What if our favorite pair gets sent to this other universe and the other pair gets sent to theirs. Wackiness would surely ensue right? I guess you'll just have to find out. I've changed a few things to accommodate the Spike that's the slayer. This first chapter is just a general background of what his life was like. It basically follows the same lines as Buffy's except Angel is in place of crazy Dru and Dru is in place of Angel. Riley is not Riley, but a girl version of the hated Captain Cardboard. Enjoy.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters. If I did Riley would have died a slow painful death maybe at the hands of a very hot very soulful bleach blonde vampire  
  
Distribution: Go ahead. Ask first  
  
Spoilers: some for most of the seasons of Buffy, but Spikeitized. If you haven't seen seasons 1-6 of Buffy, although I can't imagine how you could be reading this fan fiction if you haven't, beware.  
  
Chapter 1:  
  
Spike treaded through the graveyard. He had done this more then once in his life time and he would definitely have to do it again and again and again. Thus was his sacred duty. Directed by the Powers that Be themselves. He was chosen.  
  
The chosen one. . . or well not really, but the original. It wasn't fair. Nothing in his life was really fair and hadn't been for awhile. Nothing was ever easy for Spike. His life was never easy. There was a time when he accepted that at face value. He had done everything he could to protect Dawn. His time had been up.  
  
Why did they have to be so selfish and bring him back here?  
  
Hell his ass. Why would they think he ended up in hell? Had he not died saving the world? They ripped him out of heaven and now that they knew he was supposed to be strong so they could feel all guilty. Right that's a great existence to come back to. They were his friends. His best friends and the only real friends he had or had ever had.  
  
They cared and he cared about them. Before becoming the slayer Spike didn't have any friends. He was a geek and the butt of mostly everyone's jokes at Hemory. After finding out that he was doomed to live a life tragedy and death he had changed his look a little and started acting out.  
  
He hated the stupid destiny and he hadn't even had a chance to be introduced properly to it. He disregarded everything his first watcher, Merreck, tried to teach him. He killed all the things that went bump in the night, but that didn't mean he had to like it. His grades naturally slipped due to the lack of sleep and attendance at school. One day he went home dressed in all black and with his hair died to look something akin to a Billy Idol do and his mother almost had a heart attack.  
  
His behavior toward school changed the most. He was no longer sniffling William Summers who ran away scared from everyone. He got into fights knowing he had an unfair advantage, but not caring. Most of his battle scars came from disgruntled classmates rather then vampires. One in particular was the nice criss-cross scar above his right eyebrow was received from a fairly big football player with a class ring.  
  
If it wasn't bad enough that he was all of a sudden this even bigger freak, his parents fought more then anyone and shouted loud enough for the whole street to hear. Some fights were about him, but others were about stupid things. Spike knew where they were headed, but didn't like it. That's when drinking started.  
  
Alcohol can really impair a slayer's performance and while he was out he almost got himself killed and got Merreck killed. Sure Merreck's last words to him were that he was a great slayer and did things his own way which was great and that it wasn't his fault, but Spike couldn't help but think it was.  
  
So he changed slightly. He tried to be centered on killing the forces of evil, but it just didn't work out that way. He got into even more trouble then when he wasn't trying. When he was finally expelled from Hemory, for setting the school gym on fire, his parents were divorced, he was living with his mom and she moved them to Sunnydale.  
  
He changed his look to a more conservative one although he kept bleaching his hair. He liked the look. Good old Sunnydale was supposed to be about fresh starts, but it turned out to be worse then LA. Sunnydale was located on a Hellmouth. That meant bigger then evil then just the once in awhile vamp.  
  
But Sunnydale offered something that Spike never had: friends. He met Xander first. Xander and Jesse had been very friendly towards him. Willow had been somewhat shy and later Spike figured out that it was because Willow had a crush on him.  
  
The popular girl Cordelia tried to make him her little project, but he had declined. He had too much history with jocks and cheerleaders to just let all of that go and try and fit in with their group.  
  
He also met Giles there who ended up turning into his second father considering his didn't give a damn about him. Spike had first tried to stay away from slaying, but within two days he was already involved in the extra slaying activities. Sunnydale also gave him one more thing.  
  
Dru. Drusilla the vampire cursed with a soul had first been sort of a co- worker, then a friend, and then a girlfriend.  
  
Life was hectic though. No it could never be easy for the slayer. Things always had to be thrown in his face. You think life's going perfect then something massive happens. First you have to fight the Master Vampire and although you've already killed one this guy is big business. You die and another slayer gets called. Kendra.  
  
Then your girlfriend looses her soul and goes all evil joining up with her psycho friends. Angel and Buffy sort of like the Bonnie and Clyde of the vampire world. He was a bit of a whack job and she was just too damn confident and annoying. So you fight them join up forces with Buffy to take down Dru.  
  
The conditions being you get Giles and you don't warm her precious Angel. Then you send your girlfriend to hell to safe the world even though you find out last second no thanks to your best friend Xander that she has a soul.  
  
Then you run away from home and become an assistant to a mechanic. After that happens you met up with some former vampire groupie named Lily, save her life from the forces of evil while getting sent to a hell dimension even though you swore not to get mixed up in those things any more.  
  
You let her keep your small apartment and go back home. You try doing the normal thing. Hey you're cleared from the murder of Kendra who was killed by Angel so why not. Try getting a normal girlfriend and what happens. Your formal vampire girlfriend is sent back from hell. Yeah starting to not like this life give it a couple of more years.  
  
You get lovey dovey with your ex again despite the weird looks given by your family and friends. Another slayer comes, Faith, and turns out to like evil better then good. The mayor comes up with a plan to ascend into a demon and eat everyone at your high school while you just want to do the normal thing and go with your friends to Prom with your girlfriend.  
  
Then she breaks up with you saying that you need a normal life. She gets shot with poisonous arrows and you have to save her. Then you fight the huge battle, win of course, and she leaves. Here comes the hard part.  
  
College. If you thought high school was evil try studying for a huge psychology exam and fighting the forces of evil that just happen to be your new roommate. Being a grown-up is definitely harder then being a kid. Mysterious men from the government all of a sudden make a guest appearance and an old acquaintance pops up.  
  
You end up having a girlfriend who is in this little government branch called the Initiative. Rene Finn. The government really has no business trying to fight the forces of evil and definitely doesn't have any business trying to assemble a half-human half demon army. Although it gave one good thing, Elizabeth the Bloody got a chip in that annoying head of hers and can't hurt anyone. Sometimes you gotta love Sunnydale and sometimes you gotta hate it.  
  
Don't think that's the end do you? Soon, but not yet. You start year five of your life slaying demons and up pops a sister. Dawn. It turns out she's some mystical key that opens a hell dimension and a very strong very powerful. But not so bright hell god wants her so she can go back home.  
  
Your girlfriend leaves you for the government. Buffy tells you that she's in love with you.  
  
Your mom dies.  
  
You're finally forced to run away from the hell god.  
  
She gets Dawn.  
  
You die to save Dawn and go to a nice heavenly dimension where you're happy.  
  
Your friends pull you out of there.  
  
You have no idea what you're going to do with your life and you have no money. The only person you can be around is an evil soulless vampire that claims to be in love with you.  
  
A sing demon comes to town trying to take Dawn.  
  
You lose your memory, call yourself Randy, and find that it's easier to do that.  
  
Your best friend Willow goes off the deep end with magic and gets Dawn hurt.  
  
You become invisible.  
  
Then you have to work at the Doublemeat Palace and smell like meat.  
  
And not only do you have to do this you can't stop hanging around the vampire that's in love with you, you also have sex with her. Over and over and over and over and over again.  
  
Hate this life yet. Oh yeah you do.  
  
"What do you want?" Spike said as he walked passed a tombstone. He can feel her. For some reason now she gives off a different vibe then just a regular vamp. It used to be like that with Dru. Spike isn't really up for her tonight. He had just been going through another round of my life sucks in his head.  
  
"Alright so you caught me."  
  
Buffy says coming out of the shadows. He never really pays attention, but tonight he can see the pale tone in her skin very brightly. Her long blonde hair is flowing in her face and it seems dead which it is. She's wearing black leather pants, a shiny red halter-top and the coat. The legendary duster she got for killing her second slayer.  
  
That's right Spike. Remind yourself she's a killer. Hopefully it works this time. Spike thought as he walked closer to her.  
  
"So what do you want?" Spike asked her with a hint of annoyance in his voice.  
  
"What you want, luv."  
  
"I'm not in the mood today. Stressful day at work."  
  
"Looks pretty quiet right now." Buffy said looking around the graveyard.  
  
Spike rolled his eyes at her. "My real work. You know the one where I have to wear the funny hat."  
  
"Tha's not your job. Tha's something you have to do ta keep social services off your back. 'S beneath you." Buffy said as she walked closer to Spike.  
  
"It's still a job and it's very stressful." Spike said not moving from his spot even though his mind screamed for him to get away. "  
  
I can think 'f cuppla ways ta relieve stress." Buffy said moving her hand up and down his thigh.  
  
"No, no not tonight, Buffy. I have to get home tonight. I haven't exactly earned the best brother in the world award lately. I haven't even been good enough to be considered a candidate. I should really get home."  
  
"The bit can take 'f herself. S'not like she needs Big Brother ta take care of her. I know that she is fully capable of being home alone. She is sixteen." Buffy said not moving her hand.  
  
"That's not the problem. I'm trying to be the good brother who cares. So far I haven't been there for her. The whole klepto incident doesn't help any. I need to be around." Spike said slowly losing his resolve.  
  
Think about Dawn. She needs you to be there for her. You can't spend anymore time with the bloodsucking fiend. It takes your mind off of things for awhile, but in the long run it's hurting you. Spike reasoned with himself. It was getting harder and harder to ignore her hand though.  
  
"You're a good brother. A cuppla hours aren't going ta make a difference. If you don't want to then I'll just leave. But you gotta tell me that loud a clear because your mouth says one thing," Buffy said then cupped him with her hand, "but your body says something totally different."  
  
"I can't." Spike whispered in a hoarse voice. Not that he really he didn't want to. He so did want to, but he couldn't.  
  
"Can't or won't." Buffy whispered in his ear.  
  
"Little bit of both I guess." Spike said.  
  
"No I think it's won't. I know you can." Buffy said seductively.  
  
Okay where's your resolve. It's has to be here somewhere. Come on just because she's touching you there. . . oh she knows just where to touch you. God that feels . . . no it doesn't feel good. It feels bad. Oh who the hell are you kidding? Spike thought as he gulped and opened his eyes.  
  
He wasn't sure at what point they had closed on him, but they had. He knew they must be clouded and lust filled.  
  
"So whas' it gonna be." Buffy said looking into his eyes already knowing his answer.  
  
Spike lowered his head and crushed his lips against Buffy's. The kiss was forceful and bruising, full of need. Buffy was glad that she didn't need to breathe, but almost forgot that Spike did. He pulled away from her for a second.  
  
"We have to get to your crypt." Spike said in a rough voice.  
  
"Why there's plenty 'f room out here." Buffy said.  
  
"It's dirty out here. People might see."  
  
"Who the dead?"  
  
"I just don't want to do it out here."  
  
"Okay, but it'll take longer."  
  
"I don't care." Spike said crushing his lips to Buffy's mouth again and pushing her towards her crypt.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Spike walked inside his house trying to be quiet. He didn't want to wake anyone. It was midnight when he finally convinced Buffy to let him go in peace. He knew what he was doing was wrong, but he couldn't help it. There was just no way to say no to her.  
  
Being with her made him feel alive made him feel at all. He had been an empty shell when he got back. He still was, but at least now he found a way to stop feeling so helpless. Guys had meaningless sex all the time so why not.  
  
He walked up the stairs and was about to go inside his room when he heard, "You're home late as usual."  
  
Spike turned around to see Dawn standing in the doorway of her room.  
  
"I tried to get home earlier, but patrol was kind of tedious." Spike said lying easily.  
  
"Yeah either that or you didn't want to be around me." Dawn said in a hurt voice.  
  
"No Dawnie, I just. . ." Spike put his hands to his head and massaged his temples.  
  
"Things have been really hard lately, but I promise that they will get better. I know I haven't exactly been the best brother these past few months. . ."  
  
Dawn snorted and said, "That's the understatement of the year."  
  
"I know. I'm trying, but being back getting used to everything is going to take some time. I can't just be okay because someone snaps their fingers and orders me to be." Spike said with more bitterness then he intended.  
  
"I know that things have been hard for you, but maybe they wouldn't be so hard if you talked to someone. Anyone at all. It would be better then staying like this. You don't even talk to Willow and Xander anymore. Least of all me." Dawn said trying to reach out to her brother.  
  
"I'm the one that is supposed to be listening to you talk. You're not supposed to take care of me. I'm supposed to take care of you." Spike said.  
  
"We need to take care of each other. We are all we have. You're closing yourself off though. You're not letting anyone in." Dawn said.  
  
Yeah you are. Just not the right person. Why can't you talk to you're friends. Why is the only person you can talk to dead? Don't you think that says something about your character?  
  
"Look Dawn it's late and I'm tired. Can we talk about this in the morning?" Spike said trying to get out of talking to his sister. If he did that she would be able to see the guilt on his face.  
  
"You're always tired or you always have to do something else. I thought you said that you were going to at least try." Dawn said angrily.  
  
"I am trying. It was just a long day at work and with patrol. I just don't want to burden you right now." Dawn looked at her brother with a hurt expression.  
  
"Why because I'm just your kid sister? Because I don't even matter." Dawn said trying to fight back tears.  
  
"No. . . yes . . . I mean sort of. No what I mean is that you're my little sister and I don't want you to have to listen to my stupid problems. Not because you don't matter. You do matter." Spike said walking over to Dawn and trying to hug her. Dawn moved away.  
  
"Burdening me with your problems is better then scaring me. Sometimes I wonder if you're even going to come back after patrol. You don't want to be here so why not go and get yourself killed." Dawn said not bothering to keep her tears in anymore.  
  
Spike gave her and incredulous look.  
  
"No Dawn I would never leave you again."  
  
"Oh right." Dawn said. Spike grabbed her shoulders and made her look at him.  
  
"Listen to me. Everything I do is for you. No matter if you can't see it right now it is. I'm fucked up Dawn. Right now I don't know what the hell I'm doing. If I didn't have you I'd probably be on the streets right now doing God knows what. The only reason I stay alive is because of you." Spike said grabbing his sister and hugging her tightly.  
  
Dawn's crying became louder. She didn't realize that Spike was in that much pain. He never cursed in front of her. He tried to make it a priority not to.  
  
"I'm sorry I was being selfish. I just want my brother back." Dawn said quietly.  
  
"I'll try to find him." Spike said hugging her closer to him. They stayed like that until it was really late. Dawn had school in the morning so Spike let her get some sleep and went off to his room to enjoy another sleepless night.  
  
A/N: what do you think? Have I hit gold or should this have stayed in my head. Keep in mind that this is just an overview of what the Slayer Spike went through during his Slayer life. The action will happen soon. That is if you review. This might get shelved if there's no interest in it. I already have two stories running and if no one likes this one then I'll have to just put it aside. So review. 


	2. Crazy People Who Just Won't Go Away

Disclaimer: Don't own the characters. They belong to an evil genius named Joss. Although I don't know if he's evil or not.  
  
Distribution: Go ahead. Ask first  
  
Spoilers: None  
  
A/N: so I decided to see where this story takes me. I got seven reviews for one chapter. That's a new for me. It's usually only two or three views for my chapters. Thanks to everyone who reviewed. It gave me the courage to continue and the will. Of course it doesn't lessen the load that I'll have to keep up, but I think I can do it. Of course I'll need reviewer encouragement. So keep reviewing cause this story is still at risk for getting shelved if there isn't enough people who like it. Thanks to everyone who does.  
  
Chapter 2: Crazy People Who Just Won't Stay Away  
  
"Welcome to the Doublemeat Palace. How may I help you?" Buffy said through fake cheeriness. Yes she hated her job. If you had it you would hate it with a vengeance as well. Many times she though about asking Anya if she knew any good vengeance demons to help curse her boss or that annoyingly condescending jerk that thought he knew everything just because he went to night school.  
  
No one knew the kind of torment she had to go through to keep this crappy job that was killing her on the inside. Everything was killing her on the inside these days. The only time she felt anything at all was when she was with Spike.  
  
And that was a whole different matter all together. It was wrong on so many levels, but god how it felt good. She felt alive when she was with him and it wasn't all about sex. Before the sex there were nice conversations and well booze. Lots of booze and even though she had been riding the porcelain bus for hours it was liberating.  
  
Booze did that to you, but it did nothing for her slayer performance. But the sex wasn't bad. If Buffy let herself admit it and that was never, he was the best she had ever had. Her experience was limited of course, but it was something.  
  
Wasn't it supposed to be better when you're in love?  
  
And if so how come with Spike sex was better then her one special night with Angel?  
  
Thinking about it to long made her head hurt. It didn't matter anyway. He didn't really love her. He believed it, but a vampire without a soul couldn't love. He was evil and soulless and what they did was at the bottom of her list of things to worry about.  
  
Dawn was on top right now. Buffy had to make things right with her little sister. Dawn was crying out for attention and Buffy had to be the one to give it to her. So no matter how much she hated this job, she definitely couldn't give it up. She needed it to keep Dawn safe and protected.  
  
"Um. . . what exactly are the Doublemeat nuggets?" the man asked.  
  
Buffy looked up, but didn't see how she expected to see. Spike had asked her that once on her first day here. He hadn't been back to her work since. He said the lights made his eyes hurt.  
  
"I think they're chicken." Buffy said to the man. He seemed to be fidgeting nervously.  
  
"Oh well then chicken is good. um. . . what about the Fisherman's Medley meal? What does that come with?" the man said still looking like he was being forced to do this under gunpoint. Buffy would have cared, but it seemed that he didn't have a demon on his ass so why bother.  
  
"The Fisherman's Medley meal comes with the Fisherman sandwich, a large drink and fries." Buffy said putting on her professional voice.  
  
"I know what it comes with it what is the fish made of?" the man asked. Buffy pondered the question for a second. This man was beyond odd, he was bizarre. Maybe she had stepped in biazrro world.  
  
"Uh. . . fish?" she said.  
  
A smirk played on the features of the man. He had a face of an evil villain when he did that even with the bottle specs making him look like an owl and enhancing his brown eyes. He had a homely appearance despite the handsome features of his face.  
  
He appeared almost homeless with his dirty clothes and beat up shoes yet he seemed to young to be homeless. Younger then her and he couldn't be much older then Dawn.  
  
"Are you gonna order something or not?" Buffy asked despite the creepy feeling in the pit of her stomach.  
  
"No I'm not." The man said.  
  
"Than can you move over for the real customers?" Buffy asked with a hint of annoyance.  
  
"I know who you are. Such pain and confusion. I wish I could just wash it away, but I can't. I have a job to do. Must show you the way."  
  
"Alright crazy guy lets shove off before. . ." before she could finish her sentence the man grabbed her arm and a weird sensation went through her. She felt as if she was floating, but there was something about this that was different then just floating.  
  
"Hey is this guy bothering you, Buffy?" one of her co-workers asked the man let go of her arm and said, "Soon you will see the way. Even if it kills you both."  
  
"Alright buddy lets go." Buffy's co-worker said ushering the guy outside.  
  
"Soon you will see it. Open your eyes and it will come. Don't worry. Just let the feeling rush through you."  
  
Buffy looked as two guy co-workers tossed the crazy man out of the door. The customers were buzzing with conversation over the crazy lunatic that just assaulted the blonde Doublemeat employee. Buffy knew that there would be a few questions. She shrugged off the creepy feeling invading her body and put on her professional tone.  
  
"It's okay folks. Some times we get real crazies, but all taken care of. Now next customer."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Spike pressed the wrong button. He had been doing that a lot lately. Zoning out and feeling helpless. It was all part of the same thing. Although something felt different lately. Like something was coming. It had been two weeks since his little encounter with Dawn and his break down. He had been trying harder. As hard as he possibly could without breaking down from exhaustion.  
  
He was working shorter hours and slaying less, but the other thing just couldn't go away. No matter how much time he cut back and how much time he stayed with his friends and family there was just no breaking the hold.  
  
Buffy has inside his head and every time he felt weak he ran to her. He tried to run to his friends, but they didn't give him what he needed. He still felt empty around them and he couldn't shake that feeling off no matter how hard he tried. There had to be something wrong with him. But he knew there wasn't.  
  
He had Tara check over and over again until she refused to do it any more. She told him it was okay to use Buffy like he was. Tara was understanding and caring. Spike knew that she could keep a secret even though she didn't want to. It had to be tough considering her and Willow were getting all snuggly again.  
  
The same Willow that had a crush on him when he first came to Sunnydale was gay.  
  
"Sorry miss. I accidentally pressed the wrong button. It'll only take a second to fix." Spike said to the customer in front of him. It was a woman or more accurately a girl. She couldn't have been much older then Dawn.  
  
"You pressed the wrong button? That's okay I wasn't really hungry." The girl said waving her hand in the air dismissing it.  
  
"It's just going to take a second." Spike said not wanting to lose a customer.  
  
"You have any idea what's coming." The girl asked in a low voice that Spike almost didn't hear her. When he had a chance to think about what she said he frowned.  
  
"Your order if I can get this right." Spike said not bothering to look up from the cash register.  
  
"It'll only be the beginning. The beginning of the end. You're so confused. You don't even see it. The monsters are coming, but you can't beat it. You're not really here. You don't have the strength to beat it. You can't. Not yet." The girl said. Spike looked at her with a confused look on his face.  
  
"Excuse me, but I don't know what you're talking about. If you're not going to buy any food then could you please leave? I have customers waiting." Spike said feeling his skin tingle a little. He was getting a creepy vibe from this girl.  
  
"Waiting that's all you ever do. Wait for the feeling to come back, but there's only one way to do that. You have to feel first." The girl said.  
  
Spike sighed. He never got anyone this certifiable before. There had been some crazies like that wig lady, but this girl was just creeping him out. He couldn't put his finger on it, but there was something about her.  
  
"Okay let's go lady. This establishment doesn't have time. . ." Just as he was about to grab the girl's arm she grabbed his. A weird sensation ran through his body. After it was gone he looked at the girl.  
  
"It's coming. You'll know it when you see it. Open your eyes." The girl said before walking away and out of the fast food restaurant. Spike looked at the customers. They stared at him with odd looks on their faces.  
  
"Sorry about that folks. Some times we get really strange people coming in here looking for a free meal."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Nighttime. It was a little past six if her senses were right and they always were. Spike should becoming any time soon looking for a little cold comfort. He was using her. She knew it, but that didn't mean that she was complaining. Not right now anyway. She never complained when she was with him or the hours before she knew he was coming.  
  
She was too excited although she never showed it. That would be a little too girly. No she would just stand out her smoking a cigarette and looking for any beastie to kill. Saving her energy was probably a better idea, but she couldn't help it if being trapped in that crypt all day made her jittery.  
  
One thing Buffy was certain of was that he was definitely coming. He did this every night. He would get off work at five, go home and change into a less pylon looking outfit and coming out for a quick patrol. He'd spend a good hour killing things that went bump in the night before making his way to her cemetery.  
  
It had to be quicker then usual nowadays. He had this pact with Dawn saying that he had to talk to her more. It appeared that their twisted relationship was getting in the way of his relationship with Dawn.  
  
So it got routine and even though Buffy hated herself for letting him use her she couldn't stop. Maybe she really was a masochist like Darla and Dru told her all those times all those years ago. Why she would fall for the Vampire Slayer when she had killed two herself was beyond her. She could have had any guy she wanted. Human or vampire. It wouldn't matter.  
  
She chooses the only one that could never love her back. The one that could never feel the same way about her as she did about him. Love burns and consumes and it devours until there nothing left, but an empty shell of what that person used to be. She had said that once. He was changing everything about her and all that was left was him. All she felt for him.  
  
Now she was slipping. She couldn't deal with being treated like dirt anymore. It had lasted awhile. Her tolerance was high because she loved him, but the games he played hurt her head. He made her do crazy things and one of these days she might just snap like she told him she would.  
  
"It should be easier." A voice said from behind a bush.  
  
"Who's there?" Buffy asked gripping the stake in her jacket tighter. She just prayed it was a vampire and not something bigger.  
  
"Love should be easier." The person said again and stepped out from their hiding spot. It was a young girl. She looked to be nothing more then a teenager and she definitely wasn't a vampire or a demon.  
  
"Littl' girls shouldn't be out past their bedtimes." Buffy said.  
  
"You can't stop it like this. You can fight and you can be good, but you can't stop it. Not in this state of mind." The girl said.  
  
"What are you talkin' 'bout. You're speakin' in sodding riddles. I can't comprehend it." Buffy said getting annoyed and losing her patience. It wasn't like she could hurt this girl though.  
  
"Not yet. The time isn't yet. You'll see when it's time. You'll understand then. Open your eyes." The girl said.  
  
"I thought I said I didn't like riddles." Buffy said with even more annoyance.  
  
"It's coming soon. Just open your eyes. You'll know when it comes." The girl said disappearing behind the bush she came from.  
  
"What the bloody hell." Buffy said walking over to the bush. No one was there. She looked around and around, but she didn't find anyone at all.  
  
"Okay that was weird and sadly disappointing. Better keep searchin' if 'm gonna burn off this extra energy." Buffy said walking away from the bush and forgetting all about the encounter with the girl when she found some fledgings.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Spike walked around Main Street not doing anything in particular. He was holding two grocery bags and a small brown paper bag that contained his weekly allowance of blood that he had set up with the butcher. He was avoiding going back to his crypt.  
  
It had only been an hour since the sun set and he knew that Buffy would be coming over any second now. Daily routine that was less pleasant then he hoped. At first things were good. He was getting a part of her that no one could touch, but now after the fancy glitter had worn off it seemed a little. . . unseemly.  
  
And dirty.  
  
He let it go on though. He could say no. Buffy would probably just take that as an answer and never come back to him. Then things would really get hard. He couldn't live without her yet he couldn't very well let her keep using him like this. It just gave him so much hope that he didn't want anymore.  
  
There was no hope. Who was he kidding to ever think that Buffy would ever love him the way he loved her? It was totally impossible. Yet he still let her use him the way she did. She needed it and he could never deny her anything. Why start with this?  
  
He followed her like a man possessed. Isn't that what he said in that little song and dance number he did when that singing demon came around? He couldn't stop himself and even though he told Buffy to leave him alone she didn't. She just kept coming back for more and more.  
  
So if neither one of them could stay away from each other then what was going to happen to them. When was one of them going to realize that this just wasn't going to work. That if one of them didn't leave he would surely kill someone.  
  
Just then a homeless looking man bumped into him. "What the bloody hell. Watch where you're going, bloke." Spike yelled at the man. Once he got a good look at him he realized that he was barely just a teenager.  
  
"Sorry I didn't see you there. No one sees you there do they. You just walk around like a human pretending to fit in. so you can please her, but it never feels like enough does it. You think she'll never love you." The boy said looking at Spike with an intense stare.  
  
"Don't know what you're talkin' 'bout mate. Gonna havta stop speakin' in riddles." Spike said getting slightly annoyed.  
  
"Neither of you are ready yet. You'll never be ready if you destroy each other. There's only on thing I can do." The guy said not looking away from Spike. It didn't seem like he was blinking.  
  
"Oh yeah. Whas' that?" Spike said brimming with some confidence he found somewhere despite the fact that he was getting a creepy vibe from this guy.  
  
"I can't wash away the pain and confusion. I have a job. It's coming, but you won't be ready you'll have to open your eyes. Just let the feeling rush through you." The man said walking away and turning behind an alley.  
  
Despite the feeling in his stomach and the voice in his head telling him to just forget the man he walked after him. He turned into the alley and looked around. He wasn't there and the alley was a dead end.  
  
"Bugger this. I havta get home ta put my stuff away." Spike said walking away.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"So what exactly did we just set in motion with this whole thing. I had to act like a crazy man for crying out loud. How come she got to act like a regular person with regular clothes." Brian said flipping around. His clothes instantly changed and he became the handsome man that he always was sans glasses and dirty clothes.  
  
"Because I'm the favorite, duh!" Maddy said. She was a short girl with dark brown hair and deep brown eyes. She was just as pretty as Brian was handsome.  
  
"Oh please. Just because you've been at this longer doesn't make you the favorite." Brian said with a hint of annoyance.  
  
He loved Maddy and they loved each other, but some times they could get on each other's throats.  
  
"What does it matter. The plan is set in motion and now it is only up to them to fix it." A voice said from the dark.  
  
"Well how can we trust that they'll do the right thing. This could take awhile you know. What if they never realize it and they get stuck." Maddy said voicing the concern that both her and Brian had.  
  
She was confident in her ability to send the two pairs of people to the desired destination, but to leave it up to them to get themselves back was going to be different. Unlike her boss she wasn't one to just sit and wait for results.  
  
"Yes. I'm confident that this little show will make them realize the truths. If it doesn't kill them first." The voice said. it seemed incorporeal, but Maddy and Brian knew exactly who was behind it.  
  
"I know that you have confidence in me and all that mumbo jumbo, but this is the first time I've ever done something like this. And I've got the original pair of people. If anything happens to the Slayer and the. . ." Brian said.  
  
It was the first time that he did anything this powerful. Simple spells and a few hard ones were about as far as his expertise went.  
  
"Everything will go according to plan if you do as I told you."  
  
"What if it doesn't?" Maddy asked.  
  
"It will. I'm only worried about what happens if they don't work this out. I've seen the future and it is not a good one. If they don't learn how to control these feelings they'll burn." The voice said pausing briefly as if he were thinking about something.  
  
Perhaps contemplating if taking matters into his own hands had been the best decision.  
  
"So we just sit here and wait. If it doesn't work out then the whole world is doomed. Isn't there anything more we can do?" Maddy asked a little panicky.  
  
The voice looked over at Maddy's direction. Both Maddy and Brian were his most talented studies. Maddy had more power then Brian, but she was too quick to judge. She was the shot first shot some more then ask questions type. Brian had precision and had to have everything just right.  
  
Neither one were patient though.  
  
"We've done everything we can for now. They have to work it out now. It is up to them. The can either change or the can burn."  
  
Both Maddy and Brian were quiet for a second before Maddy said; "Well if it's going to be the end of the world we might as well do it right. Anyone up for Jell-O-shooters?"  
  
A/N: So whattcha think? Good or no good. Stay or no stay. Remember you decide if this story continues or not. I can't guarantee it will. Just so everyone's clear Buffy's British like Spike. It's a total switch of the two. So be prepared for Spike to talk like Buffy. If it gets confusing just send a review saying you don't get it or something and I'll explain. Oh quick trivia question: where are Brian and Maddy from? There's a treat in it for the person who gets it right. So review to keep this story alive and to try and answer the question. 


	3. Feelings

Disclaimer: Don't own the characters. They belong to an evil genius named Joss. Although I don't know if he's evil or not.  
  
Distribution: Go ahead. Ask first  
  
Spoilers: None  
  
A/N: Hey thanks for all of the reviews. Sorry for the long wait, but I told you that it might be awhile considering the fact that I'm working on like three stories. I think I might be overworking myself, but that's okay. Answer to Hannah's questions. I don't want to give too much away and I'm not exactly sure how this will work as well, but here's what I think will most likely happen. Both the Buffy's and the Spike's are going to totally switch dimensions. Buffy will still be a vampire in the other dimension and Spike will be the Slayer and vice versa. It's sort of a glimpse into the other's life and the hardships that come with that. Hopefully that answered the questions and didn't make things worse. Thanks to all reviewers. On with the story.  
  
Chapter 3:  
  
Spike walked inside his house. It was dark. He walked into the living room and turned on the light. It was quiet as well.  
  
"Dawn! Willow! Anyone home?" he yelled.  
  
There wasn't an answer. He wondered into the kitchen and found a note on the refrigerator. It was the first place he went to after he got home from work. Patrolling and Doublemeat Palace. He read it.  
  
Hey Spike,  
  
If you're reading this you're a pig! No just kidding although I do think that the kitchen is your favorite place in the whole house. Willow and I are at the Bronze shaking our groove things. That was quoth Willow not me. Anyhoo think about coming over to the Bronze. We're waiting for you. If you don't we'll be home by eleven. See you then. If you're still awake.  
  
Love, Dawn.  
  
Spike placed the note back on the refrigerator. This was the perfect chance to miss his daily meeting with Buffy. Of course just because he meet them at the Bronze didn't guarantee that he wouldn't meet up with Buffy later.  
  
That didn't mean that he couldn't delay the inevitable. It wasn't like Buffy was going to be waiting for him. She'd probably go to some local demon bar, get drunk and cheat at kitten poker. Why they used kittens was beyond him, but that was the currency she played with. She probably exchanged it for real money with some dealer.  
  
So it was decided that he would go. Just take a quick shower to try and mask the smell of Doublemeat Palace and put on some less orange-y looking clothes and he'd be ready. He'd go have fun with his friends and do the normal thing for at least a couple of hours.  
  
Maybe he'd mention the weird girl that came to his work today. For him the supernatural stuff was all lumped into the normal thing. The only un-normal was sleeping with a soulless vampire. Or at least that's how it was in his book.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Spike walked inside the Bronze looking his best and holding the note that Dawn wrote him. She had used 'quoth' and that wasn't going to get past without a little teasing. It was only fair. A little mindless fun was exactly what the doctor ordered.  
  
It would take his mind off of other things. He scanned the crowd looking for his friends. His eyes landed on the group sitting at a table in the far corner of the club. He slowly made his way to the group.  
  
"Hey guys." Spike said after he made his way to his friends.  
  
"Well look who decided to come out of hiding." Dawn said when she saw her brother standing in front of them.  
  
"It's about time. It's been too long since we've all been to the Bronze." Willow said taking a sip of her drink.  
  
"Yeah we thought for sure you'd do a quick patrol, eat something and then go to sleep. It's pleasant surprise that you decided to come and not let me the only guy surrounded by a bunch of girls." Xander said pulling Anya closer to him. S  
  
pike took a seat next to Willow and looked at his friends expectantly. One of them had to have something of interest happening in their lives.  
  
After a minute or two of silence Spike spoke up. "So how goes the wedding plans?" He asked Anya and Xander.  
  
"They're tedious, but they're going." Xander said. Anya looked up from her magazine.  
  
"Oh right because you're doing all the work. You're just sitting there eating your chips and being useless while I'm trying to create our prefect day. And I will have a prefect day even if I have to kill everyone on the wedding list and half this town to do it." Anya said looking back at the papers and magazines in front of her.  
  
"Can I opt for a no slaughter day. Kinda lax for work as it is." Spike said trying to joke.  
  
"Yeah joke all you want Spike. All this is very stressful." Anya said not bothering to look up from her plans.  
  
Spike nodded his head and mumbled 'right' while fidgeting his leg nervously. Silence fell over the group again.  
  
"So how goes things at work, Spike." Willow said trying to keep the silence away. Spike looked up at her and gulped. He wondered if he should tell them about the girl who came in.  
  
"It's good. Tedious and smelly, but good. Earns a living, although I don't know if that's a fair trade off for the freaks." Spike said deciding to be vague and see if they cared.  
  
"Freaks? What kind of freaks?" Dawn asked.  
  
"Just your regular run of the mill freaks. Today this really freaky girl came in and started talking about weird stuff." Spike said keeping up his vague description.  
  
"Saying things like what?" Willow asked with a confused tone in her voice and look on her face.  
  
"Oh stuff like the end was coming and bringing big monsters with it. You know the usual Sunnydale Hellmouth-y stuff." Spike said in mock indifference.  
  
"Okay officially interested in whatever this freak had to say." Xander said.  
  
"She actually said that the end was coming?" Dawn said.  
  
"Should we be worried. I mean lots of demons like to say that the end is coming, but most of the time it's horse hooey. Evil things like to say that they're bringing the end." Anya said still not looking up from her wedding plans.  
  
"See I didn't get an evil vibe. She seemed like she wanted to help me for some strange reason. Kept saying that I needed to open my eyes and that I was confused. That my confusion was gonna bring pain and stuff like that." Spike said trying to remember what exactly the girl said.  
  
"Maybe she was sent be the Powers that Be to help. You know kind of like a seer." Willow said.  
  
"When she touched my arm I got this weird feeling. Like there was this heat rushing through my body. Maybe it was magic?" Spike said.  
  
"Maybe they want to show you something. The Powers like to do that. Send down little messengers to help their heroes and champions out. Show them the light and what not." Anya said.  
  
"So what we just wait." Xander asked.  
  
"That would be the general idea. I don't think this concerns us. Not directly anyway. This is about Spike." Anya said.  
  
"That's all I ever do." Spike whispered repeating the girl's earlier words.  
  
"What?" Willow asked.  
  
"Nothing. I guess it's nothing. Probably not even a messenger from the Powers. Just thought that maybe I should bring it up. No big." Spike said looking down at his hands.  
  
"Yeah it was probably just your general freak. Although from my experience general crazy people help out a lot." Dawn said remembering back to when that crazy man told her that she was the key.  
  
"Yeah it wouldn't be the first time Spike here thought that there was something demonic going on with his job." Xander said.  
  
"Yeah, but he was right that time." Anya pointed out.  
  
"You know what. Let's just forget about. I have a note here that says we're supposed to be shaking our groove things. It also says quoth, but the teasing can resume later. Shaking of the groove things now." Spike said.  
  
"Sure, should be good mindless fun." Willow said.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
She wasn't walking home. No if she was walking home then she wouldn't be mad at herself. She was walking to his crypt. Despite what she told herself, Buffy's time with her friends only delayed the inevitable. Not that she hadn't prepared for this. She knew it was more likely to happen this way. The Bronze was great and for awhile there it was just like old times. Things were good and happy instead of down and dreary. Even Anya snapping at her was better then nothing.  
  
Things were quiet in the beginning, but they opened up. Of course she had to use her run in with Mr. Creepy to lighten up the mood. Like old times, going to the Bronze and talking about things to slay. They talked it out as a group and established that there was nothing weird going on.  
  
With that down they danced the night away stopping only for light conversation and drinks. Not too much in Buffy's case, but just enough to keep her mind settled. But eventually the night wore away and people had to get home. Anya and Xander left first both complaining that they had to get up early for work.  
  
Only an hour after that Buffy decided that it was time for Dawn to get home and Willow followed as well. She had to get up for school in the morning just like Dawn did. Buffy had work. All her friends were grown-up and so was Buffy.  
  
She tried to go to sleep, but spent at least an hour in bed before giving in and getting dressed for patrol. At least she told herself it was patrol. She knew the truth. She was going out to see Spike. Maybe dust a few random vamps that happened to get in her way, but her mission was to go to Spike. She sought him out and she knew it.  
  
No matter how much she denied it she knew it somewhere in the deep crevasses of her soul she knew. Although admitting this would never happen in a million years. Why would she want to get sucked further into the madness that was her life when she could just as easily pretend that nothing was going on? That she was just fine and that things were all sunshine and roses.  
  
So she was walking to his crypt knowing full well what she was doing, but not admitting it to herself. Spike wasn't the one who was possessed, she was or at least that's how she felt. There had to be something wrong with her if she was doing this. There just had to be something wrong with her.  
  
Why else would Spike's chip not work on her? Sure Tara said it was because a displacement of molecular do-hickeys, but it couldn't be just that. If there wasn't something wrong with her then there wouldn't be any excuse as to why she did the things she did. It would have all been her and it couldn't be her making those decisions.  
  
Buffy got to Spike's crypt and decided to do something she never did before. She knocked on the door. There was a faint sound of rustling inside before the door was opened revealing a tired looking Spike in tight fitting black jeans and a black shirt.  
  
"Oh it's you." Spike said yawning a bit. He looked ridiculously human when he did that. He had obviously been asleep in his chair when she knocked. His hair was ruffled into its natural curl and his clothes were slightly wrinkled.  
  
"Yeah it's me. You were expecting who. . . the pope?" Buffy said.  
  
"No just not your thing, luv. You know knockin'. Usually you jus' throw the door open. Thought it might 'ave been someone else." Spike said rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.  
  
"Like who?" Buffy asked.  
  
"I don't know. 'M a very busy littl' vampire. Could be anyone." Spike said. Silence fell over the pair for about a minute before Spike spoke up.  
  
"Come in, will you." He said moving aside to let her in.  
  
Buffy walked inside the crypt and looked around. The only light was the small black and white television that sat in the middle of the room and a single flickering candle. The TV was playing some old horror film that Spike enjoyed so much. It was either on a monster fest channel or on Passions. He was one weird vamp.  
  
"So. . ." Buffy started.  
  
"Look I know you jus' didn't come 'ere ta make wif' the small talk and 'ave tea an' crumpets. Either you got an itch you can't scratch or you're gonna pump me for information. Either way there's pumpin' ta be done so get it over wif' already." Spike said.  
  
"Wow you know just what to say to a girl to get her in the mood. Every think about giving pointers to those who don't ever want to get laid." Buffy said sarcastically.  
  
"Well not really in the mood myself. Kinda tired, Slayer, so why don't you jus' sod off an' I'll see you tomorrow. You missed your appointment." Spike said holding the door open for her.  
  
"And the charm just keeps on coming." Buffy muttered.  
  
"Yeah well s'not like you've ever done anything ta make me all tingly. You jus' expect to come in 'ere and get what you want. Feels like 'm runnin' a service 'ere. Like one of them twenty-four hour stores people are so fond of." Spike said.  
  
"I think 711 is more popular." Buffy said.  
  
"Well then why don't you go an' get your rocks off over there." Spike said motioning towards the door.  
  
"Why are you complaining. You never did before." Buffy asked.  
  
"Yeah well now my eyes are open jus' a littl' bit more." Spike said defensively.  
  
"Oh really." Buffy said walking over towards him.  
  
"Yeah now I think it'd be best if you left." Spike said.  
  
"Or what?" Buffy said challengingly.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Or what he says. He knows I can hurt him and yet he stays there full of bluster and bravado even thought he knows who he's messing with. Elizabeth the Bloody here. Jesus Christ I can't even frighten the Slayer anymore. A Slayer in black sweats slippers and an oversized T-shirt. At least it isn't like he's wearing Yummy Sushi pajamas like Dawn. And isn't illegal for the Slayer to wear black. Buffy thought.  
  
"Come on Buffy. I dare you to take a swing at me. You never do anymore and I kinda miss it." Spike said pacing around the crypt looking like he's going to ware a tread in it.  
  
"What are you playin' at, Slayer. You think this is a game. 'M an evil blood suckin' fiend remember. Creature of the night." Buffy said holding up her hands in a 'grr arg' scary claw like way.  
  
Spike laughed. It was one of those bone-chilling evil villain laughs that were only reversed for Buffy's presence.  
  
"Pathetic excuse for a creature of the night if you ask me. Can't hunt can't kill so you decide it's better to pine over the Slayer. Yeah really creature of the night-y." Spike said still laughing in Buffy's face.  
  
It was times like these when Buffy did really feel like killing him. Making it quick and painless just to shut him up. His words were so hurtful that they made Buffy wanted to kill him something she would never think of when he wasn't saying them.  
  
And sometimes, Buffy wondered if that's what he wanted. That one of these days she would just snap and sink her fangs into his lovely flesh and that would be the end of it. He would go back to heaven and be safe.  
  
And it was when Buffy looked into his eyes and saw the raw pain that she really considered doing it. Before it would be out of angry because sometimes who really didn't think about killing someone when they were angry.  
  
Okay maybe not the people that you love, but when you fight you wish that they would hurt just as badly as you do. When she saw him looking the way he did at this moment she really did want to end it for him. All the pain and suffering should just have been washed away and he wouldn't have to carry the burden at all.  
  
If his dying was the only way that she could do that then she'd gladly take that option into consideration. Although she'd never do it. She was too selfish to let him go. Not now not ever. She wasn't done saving him.  
  
Buffy slowly walked over to him, their faces mere inches apart. Spike took in a sharp intake of breath. He looked down at her with clouded eyes and just stared into her green ones. Slowly Buffy stepped forward closing the gap between them kissing him ever so lightly.  
  
It wasn't anything like how they had kissed before. Mostly their kiss weren't at all gentle, but almost to the point where they were bruising. This kiss was soft and sweet something that shouldn't even be associated with the sick relationship they had. But right at that moment it didn't matter. All that matter was the feel of lips on lips.  
  
Hands began to roam, but not in the frantic needy way that they usually did. Each caress was barely there. Spike's hands settled at Buffy's waist and drew her closer to him. Bodies against bodies, clothed flesh against clothed flesh. Both bodies humming with anticipation over the soon to be coupling. Buffy's singing that for once she would be able to show Spike how much she really did love him. Spike's humming at how close Buffy was to him.  
  
Spike slightly pulled away from her resting his forehead on hers.  
  
"That all you got." He said in mock taunting.  
  
"No, I'll show you s'actly what else I got in store for you." Buffy said dragging him by the hand to the lower part of the crypt.  
  
The one that housed the comfy bed that would be so much nicer then the floor. Spike followed as he was helplessly led down the ladder and over to the bed. The feeling that evaded his chest when he felt Buffy's gentleness with him unexplainable and definitely unknown to him. At least when he was with Buffy. The feeling was welcomed though. It left a warm fuzzy feeling that spread through him like wildfire. It made him feel alive.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Alive was something Buffy hadn't felt in awhile. Sure she felt some feeling when she was with Spike, but that feeling was nothing like the feeling she felt right now. This was new and went farther then anticipation. This was a soaring high through the mountains type of feeling. Like she was a bird and free to do whatever she pleased.  
  
But what did it mean. Buffy lost all thought when Spike's arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her in for another minding searing kiss. Gently and oh so slowly Spike set Buffy on the bed. He laid on top of her using his arms to keep from smothering her. He bent his head down and came in for another kiss.  
  
The kisses were something that Buffy hadn't experienced in awhile. They were so gentle and passion filled. They were those kinda earth shattering who really cares if the apocalypse is on our hills as long as I stay here the world can cease to exist type of kisses.  
  
She had only ever felt something this intense from a kiss when she was with Angel. Never had she felt anything like this with Riley. Panic started to rise in her chest as she realized what exactly she was feeling. Love. Plain simple love that consumed so deep you lost yourself in it. And for that moment it was okay. Wrong but okay.  
  
Spike's hands made their way under Buffy's skin and Buffy shivered slightly at the feel of the cool experienced hands touching her hot skin. His hands ran over her body possessively and Buffy just let herself feel the feelings running through her body.  
  
Such good amazing feelings that ran through her body just at the slightest touch of his hands. The hands of a man who had slaughtered half of Europe and had no regrets about it. This man with no soul to speak of yet he stuck around and helped out even after she was dead.  
  
This man who really wasn't a man, but wanted nothing more then to be the kind of man that she would love. Though she could never bring herself to tell him that she believed that he could be a good man. That he could in fact be the kind of person she could turn to always.  
  
That would mean that she would have to let the walls down. Something that she couldn't do. She had worked to hard to build those walls. They didn't have anything to do with him being a vampire or evil. Angel had been a vampire and even when he was evil she still loved him with all her heart because she knew he had potential.  
  
Spike had that same kind of potential soul or no soul. No these walls were all about her and her heartache. She couldn't let anyone else in because it would all result in heartache and pain. Pain was not a friend to anyone and definitely not to the Slayer. She had run away from her duties because of it and she couldn't let that happen again.  
  
Spike looked down into her face. He always let the love shine through into his eyes whenever Buffy was near. He didn't care about heartache although Buffy thought he should. He let his heart be out there so easily and broke when it was trampled on.  
  
He had allowed himself to be broken in the name of love all the time. He was fearless when it came to things like that. Buffy admired that about him. No matter how many times he was trampled by love he never grew afraid of it. He was brave in so many ways that Buffy never could be and maybe she resented him a littler for it.  
  
"Buffy, I love you." Spike said leaning his head down again for another kiss and Buffy was sure she could feel his love for her radiating into her soul burning her.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Wait stop!" Spike yelled frantically trying to push Buffy off of him after breaking their last kiss.  
  
It was filled with too much emotion that made Spike doubt the little voice saying that everything was okay. No he wasn't ready for this.  
  
"Spike whas' wrong?" Buffy asked genuine concern laced in her voice. She was still straddling his hips.  
  
"Please. I have to go. This. . . I can't do this. Get off of me!" Spike yelled again still trying to pull Buffy off of him. He finally managed to push her off of him and he jumped off of the bed as if it were the pits of hell.  
  
"Spike what the bloody hell is that matter wif' you?" Buffy asked pointedly staring at him as though he had done something totally absurd.  
  
"This is what is the matter with me. You're trying to make this about love when it's about sex. Just about sex Buffy. Nothing more. That's all I want out of you. You know that right? You're just a convenient body to screw every once in awhile. I don't love you." Spike said more to himself then to Buffy. She just continued to stare at him as if he had grown an extra head.  
  
"Right Spike whatever you say." She said in a defeated voice.  
  
"So you understand me then. This is about sex and nothing else. Just sex with no feelings or strings attached or anything like that." Spike looked at Buffy expectantly.  
  
A mixture of emotions played on her face. It looked like she wanted to scream at him. Tell him he was stupid and kick his ass. Her face held anger towards him, but she looked like something else. She looked like a kicked puppy. Maybe he had pushed her over the edge one too many times now.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Spike looked up at Buffy just standing there after telling him it was all about sex. Sure he knew that was how she wanted it. She never went a day without telling him so, but this time he really thought that maybe she would let him love her. He looked at her with his eyes filled with hurt and heartache. She finally succeeded in breaking him and not for the better.  
  
"I can't do this anymore either. I can't just sit back and let you use me all the time and not say something about it. 'S killing me and I can't do it anymore, as I'm sure you can't either. I can't always be 'ere ta jus' sit back an' let you take over everything that is me. If 's all 'bout sex then you can go find it somewhere else. 'M leavin' Sunnyhell. This is it Buffy. I can't do this anymore. So jus' go." Spike said bowing his head down.  
  
Buffy looked at him with puzzlement. He was actually going to leave. There was set determination in those eyes right before he looked down at what was so interesting in his hands.  
  
Buffy could feel her chest heavy inside of her and she felt herself ready to collapse as the weight of what Spike was saying sunk in. he was leaving. For good this time. No coming back to kidnap Xander and Willow.  
  
No coming back for a stupid Gem of Amara. No more trying to kill the Slayer or love her for that matter. Before he could see her cry she ran out of the crypt and back to her house. The cold night air whipping at her face and making her feel nauseous from it all. Spike was going to leave her.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
When Spike got home he collapsed on his bed determined not to cry. Guys didn't cry and Slayers especially didn't cry. Buffy was nothing to him and he was determined to keep it that way. So she was going to leave. It didn't matter.  
  
One less blood-sucking fiend to worry about and it took the temptation away. That was a good thing. It was all a good thing. Nothing bad was going to happen anymore. Everything would return to normal and no one would know the difference. Yeah things were going to be good now, Spike thought as he let himself fall into an uneasy sleep.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Buffy's crypt was a mess. What did she care about all the trashed items thrown everywhere. What did she care about how messy something was when she was leaving soon. She would pack up the Desoto and be out of Sunnyhell for good. No more Slayer. No more rejection. No more hurt or heartache.  
  
She was through with it. Time to pack up and start anew. Just get a good night's sleep and leave the next day. The sooner the better. Then she would be able to forget about the Slayer that always haunted her thoughts.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Spike took the top cap off of his stash of bourbon. He had already drunk his way through the scotch and the Jack D that he had at his little bar at the bottom of his soon to be ex-crypt. Leaving this little set up was going to be hard.  
  
It was the perfect little place, but it was time to go. He had overstayed his welcome and completely trashed the place as it was. She could never love him and the sooner he got that the sooner he would be able to get on with his life without her. Just get some rest and then go. Go and never come back.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Well that certainly didn't play out like I thought it would. I thought you said that everything would work out." Maddy asked The Voice.  
  
"Yes, you reassured me that things would go good. That didn't look good to me. It looked a little angst filled rather then hugs and cuddles. Wasn't it supposed to be about hugs and cuddles." Brian asked as he walked over to Maddy.  
  
"No this is just the beginning. Because they neglected to let each other feel now the must face something that is beyond them." The voice said.  
  
"Okay that was more then a little cryptic. What does it mean?" Maddy asked.  
  
"Madeline have a little faith. Just watch as it happens." The voice said.  
  
"Okay, but I don't think I like where this is going. I thought you said that in both realities the Vampire and the Slayer have to work as one in order to stop the apocalypse. If the vampire leaves then that won't happen. Isn't that what you say in your vision." Brian asked curiously.  
  
They had been sent down to stop what was happening, not just sit back and let the same thing happen that would bring the world to it's knees.  
  
"Yes that is what is what I saw." The voice said.  
  
"Okay then why aren't we going down there and stopping it from happening." Maddy asked.  
  
"Because Maddy. There is a plan that is forming. Don't worry. Things will work out fine. It should be fun to watch." The voice said.  
  
"Okay he just said that something would be fun. Does he even know what fun is?" Brian asked Maddy.  
  
"I don't think so." Maddy said equally as perplexed as Brian was.  
  
"Maybe I'll take you up on that offer for drinks."  
  
A/N: Okay so whattcha think. Good or no good. Stay or what the heck were you think when you posted this it sucks so badly there aren't any words for it and it makes Hoover look like a lower powered machine. Please review and I'm open to flamers if there are any. I don't really care as long as you review. If you want another chapter I need some inspiration. It's probably going to stay now that I started getting into it, but it's always in danger. So hurry up and review. Tell me what you think. 


	4. Essences From Different Dimensions

Disclaimer: Don't own the characters. They belong to an evil genius named Joss. Although I don't know if he's evil or not.  
  
Distribution: Go ahead. Ask first  
  
Spoilers: None  
  
A/N: Hey everybody. Good on the return rate here. I just got the idea in my head and started to run with it. Hope you're happy with the update time. I'm not exactly sure it will stay this way, but it'll be a lot faster then the last time. Okay then on with the story. The switch!  
  
Chapter 4:  
  
The sound of an alarm clock woke Buffy from her restful sleep. Wait an alarm clock?  
  
"What the bloody hell?" Buffy said looking around the room she was in.  
  
It was something akin to Spike's, but girly. The structure was the same, but the furniture was totally different.  
  
"Okay this is weird." Buffy said throwing off the warm blankets and placing her feet on the carpeted ground.  
  
She looked down at her pajamas that were nothing like her regular attire. Of course her regular attire consisted of nothing when she slept, but this was nothing like her regular clothes. Gray tight fitting sweats and a yellow tank top.  
  
A yellow shirt! She looked at her arms and noticed they were tan. Not the regular pale white color that they usually were, but almost Sunkist. Her blonde hair was tied in a ponytail and kind of curly, but it lacked in its usual presence.  
  
Buffy walked over to one of the mirrors and so the pictures taped on it. Pictures of the Scoobies and her. The pictures portrayed her as friends with them. There were no pictures of Spike with the Scoobies. It was as if he wasn't even there friend and she was. Then she saw it.  
  
Her reflection staring straight at her in the mirror. It had been a long time since she saw what she looked like and what she saw surprised her. She looked nothing like she pictured she would of course she couldn't really take this reflection for what it was worth considering she shouldn't be seeing her reflection.  
  
She looked. . . human. Too human for her liking.  
  
"What the hell is going on." Buffy whispered to herself.  
  
Then she realized another startling revelation. Her accent was totally gone and in it's place was the voice of a twenty-one year old Southern Californian. Sort of like Spike's voice.  
  
Buffy put her hand over her heart that for over a century went unbeating. Now it was beating steadily. The sound would have been music to her not so hypersensitive ears had she not been freaking out.  
  
She burst through the door to the room and looked around frantically. Everything was exactly the same as the Summers residence. Nothing was out of place or missing. It was all the same only more girly.  
  
"What the bloody hell is going on!"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Spike turned over in his bed. It was unbelievably cold. In fact everything was cold in this room. Spike slowly opened his eyes and looked around. He was in Buffy's crypt.  
  
"What the fuck. How did I get here?" Spike asked himself noticing that his voice was harsher then usual.  
  
He looked around the bottom half of the crypt. It was different. Just slight changes like the fell of the room was more manly then usual.  
  
The bar that usually held lots of alcoholic beverages such as vodka held harsher ones like whiskey and bourbon, drinks that Buffy tried to avoid, but used is she had to. Same bottle of Jack Daniels lay on the floor empty and totally disregarded. The bed held the same look to it, but everything else screamed that a man lived here.  
  
"Oh shit!" Spike yelled realizing what a mistake that was when he felt the slight pierce in his head that screamed hangover.  
  
That must be it. I got totally drunk last night and came back here. Where's Buffy.  
  
Spike thought as he looked around the room. He still had clothes on, but once he looked down to see what they were he was puzzled even more. Black tight fitting jeans, a black undershirt and a red shirt that went over it.  
  
How could he sleep like that? His pants felt plastered to him. It looked like some of the stuff he would wear in his misspent youth, but nowadays he tried to go for a more casual look.  
  
"Okay when did I go all gothic." Spike said out loud.  
  
"Most be the only clothes Buffy had that would fit me. Probably got alcohol all over mine, although I don't even remember drinking." Spike said getting up and walking over to the ladder.  
  
He walked up the steps to the top half of the crypt and looked around. Again it looked like Buffy's crypt, but the décor was so different. The small television that sat in front of that ugly chair, both looking like they were from a Dumpster, was too small and old looking.  
  
Everything looked like it was brought from a Dumpster, when Buffy had so elegantly five finger discounted all her things from various furniture stores. This looked manly as well.  
  
Everything was worn and beaten and various beer bottles littered the ground. Buffy liked to keep things clean. The candles were the same and the fridge was the same, but everything else was different.  
  
Spike felt he stomach rumble.  
  
"She probably won't have a nice plate of bacon and eggs in that fridge." Spike said but felt himself walking towards it anyway.  
  
Suddenly he felt a burning on his ear.  
  
"Ow!" he said clutching his ear and walking off to the side.  
  
He looked around to see if there was anything around that would burn his ear. Slayer strength would kick in soon. He saw the small window that had always concerned him. Buffy said it was part of the appeal.  
  
"Yeah getting dusted with the morning paper. Very appealing." Spike muttered.  
  
"Wait I don't get dusted so what am I afraid of." Spike said cautiously putting his hand in the direction of the window.  
  
It took his hand five seconds to start sizzling and another four seconds for him to realize what was happening. He pulled his hand away for it was literally getting burned.  
  
"What the hell?" Spike said puzzled.  
  
His stomach growled again this time more furiously. He found his feet betraying him and walking, this time a safer route to the fridge. He opened it and saw various blood packets along with beer in it.  
  
Without thinking or allowing his brain to think about how weird it was that this was animal blood instead of the human blood Buffy had from her deal with the hospital nurse he took a packet of blood, ripped it open with his teeth and drank from it.  
  
The coppery liquid filled his mouth and he drank and drank until there was nothing left but a crumpled bag. After realizing what he had done he throw the bag on the floor like it had burned him this time not literally. He could feel his eyes go wide and suddenly could hear everything going on around him. His vision was better to.  
  
Spike cautiously brought a hand up to his face. Bumps and ridges clear as day. Pointy teeth as well and he would bet his bottom dollar his eyes were yellow.  
  
"Oh god! I've been turned into a vampire. Holy mother of fucking hell!" Spike screamed as he frantically searched for a blanket. He had to get home and tell the others what happened.  
  
"Shit!"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Buffy what's a matter." Dawn asked. Buffy's scream had made Willow and Dawn come out and stare at her with concern.  
  
"What's the matter. Well let's see for starters my voice is different and more Southern Californian sounding. My hair is a ridiculous color. I'm wearing yellow. Oh yeah and I'm human." Buffy said with panic in her voice.  
  
"Yeah you're human. You've been that way for quite some time now." Willow said worried that her friend had finally lost it.  
  
"Listen Red let's not make this anymore confusing. Bit where's your brother and why is his room all girly looking?" Buffy asked.  
  
"I have a brother?" Dawn said.  
  
"Yes you have a sodding brother. Great I can't even say my usual words. They sound horrible with this voice." Buffy said.  
  
"Willow I think she's lost it." Dawn whispered.  
  
"What are you whispering about. It's not fair. I can't hear you anymore." Buffy whined.  
  
"Damnit that sounded too whiney." Buffy then cursed herself.  
  
"Buffy maybe you should lie down." Willow said.  
  
"No, you have to get everyone here and do that stupid Scooby research. Call demon girl and Glenda, hell even the whelp and let's solve this thing."  
  
"Buffy really you should rest." Dawn said.  
  
"Look I know that Dawn is the only one that likes me, but you could at least try. I mean the Slayer's gotta be out there some where. Show some sadness." Buffy pleaded realizing that Spike wasn't anywhere to be seen.  
  
"Buffy you are the Slayer." Dawn said.  
  
"What? That's really funny, Bit. Me the Slayer." Buffy said chuckling.  
  
"You are." Willow said.  
  
"That's virtually impossible. I'm a vampire. Remember evil vampire with a chip in my head. One that's killed two Slayers. Scourge of Europe. Elizabeth the Bloody. Sired by Angelus. Attacked you lot on that stupid parent teacher conference. Any of this ringing a bell." Buffy said realizing off of Dawn and Willow perplexed faces that it didn't ring a bell.  
  
"Sounds like Spike's past. What with the Scourge of Europe thing. That's what they used to call him. Oh and Elizabeth the Bloody sounds like William the Bloody. What do thinks wrong with her Willow?" Dawn asked.  
  
"I don't know." Willow said.  
  
"I'll tell you what's wrong with me. I've been here in Sunnydale too long. Strange things always happen in this town. Bloody hell." Buffy said.  
  
"Okay now she's starting to borrow some of Spike's more colorful language." Dawn said.  
  
"Buffy maybe you encountered something on patrol. Something that's making you think all crazy like. We'll . . ." Willow was interrupted by a loud crash in the kitchen.  
  
"What was that." Dawn said.  
  
"I don't know let's go check it out." Willow said. Both girls made their way down the stairs. Buffy sighed and followed them down.  
  
She walked into the kitchen to see a burning Spike closing all the shudders.  
  
"Willow thank go you're okay. I woke up in a strange place wearing these strange clothes and I'm a vampire!" Spike said in a rather husky voice unknown too most.  
  
"My voice is different and I don't know what they hells going on and I drank blood. Should have tasted totally icky, but you know why it didn't. Because I'm a vampire." Spike continued his mission to close all the shudders.  
  
"You're a vampire." Buffy asked from behind Dawn and Willow. Spike turned to see her standing there.  
  
"You! What did you do to me? Did you turn me so I would stay with you? Is that that what this is." Spike asked panicked although not really believing Buffy could do it no matter if the chip didn't work on him.  
  
"No I was the one who was leaving. I was the one who called, who'd you put it, freak show, off. Not you. You were the one running out of the place like you ass was on fire." Buffy said.  
  
"Yeah so then what happened. Some vamp turned me into this. God the Slayer as a vampire. What the hell are people going to think? Shit this is no good. Willow you have to do some sort of spell to return my soul or something." Spike said turning his stare to Willow. Willow stood there looking confused.  
  
"Okay now I think that both of you just need to sit down and breath or well just sit in Spike's case. There's nothing wrong with this picture." Willow said.  
  
"Yes there is." Both Buffy and Spike shouted.  
  
"I'm a vampire." Spike said.  
  
"Yeah and I'm human." Buffy said. "Wait your human!?" Spike said.  
  
"Yeah I just woke up in what looked like your room only more girly and I found out I was human. Reflection and everything although I kind of wish there wasn't a reflection with what look like." Buffy said.  
  
Spike took a good look at her.  
  
"What's wrong with it?" Spike asked.  
  
"Um I look like a Dawson's Creek reject. Too Southern Californian peppy. What's with this ridiculously short hair." Buffy said.  
  
"I think it looks nice. Not something I'm used to on you." Spike said.  
  
"Yeah well don't get used to it. As soon as I get back to being me I'm out of this town remember." Buffy said.  
  
"Oh right. Wait maybe that's it. Maybe we are stuck in a different dimension. Maybe I'm not really a vampire. Is that possible?" Spike said looking at Willow with a pleading look on his face.  
  
"I guess." Willow said.  
  
"Good then you can get everyone on it." Spike said.  
  
"Right forgot you were their all mighty leader." Buffy muttered.  
  
"Really not making with the time to hear you complain." Spike said.  
  
"Okay now I know there is definitely something wrong when Spike starts talking like Buffy and sans accent." Dawn said.  
  
"I'm not talking like her. Talking like her would sound like this. Sodden bloody hell, you buggering chit." Spike said.  
  
"You sound nothing like me." Buffy said.  
  
"Oh that's right. I was talking about the Buffy that usually lives here. In this dimension." Dawn said.  
  
"So in this dimension I'm the vampire." Spike asked. Willow and Dawn shook their heads.  
  
"And everyone hates me." Spike asked quietly.  
  
"We don't hate the other Spike." Willow said.  
  
"Yeah me and Spike are like best friends." Dawn said.  
  
"Wait so I'm the Slayer." Buffy spoke up.  
  
"Yeah you are."  
  
"And I'm the one with the crummy job with the stupid hat and all the bills to pay." Willow and Dawn hesitantly shook their heads.  
  
"And I'm the one that came back from the dead all weepy and depressed. I'm the one that has to slay demons every night after coming home from a crummy job. I'm the human one." Willow and Dawn nodded.  
  
"So that would make me your sister." Buffy said pointing to Dawn.  
  
"Yeah." Dawn said.  
  
Buffy looked thoughtful for a minute before letting a horrified look pass through the features of her face.  
  
"I have responsibilities." Buffy stated.  
  
"Yeah you act like it's a huge deal. This should be interesting. You've never had any responsibility as a vampire and now here's your chance. I get a break. Although now that I think about it it's hardly a break. I have to be a vampire. Do I have a chip in my head." Spike asked Willow and Dawn.  
  
"Yeah the government planted it in there." Willow said.  
  
"So I get protect myself from humans. I can still kick demon butt. The blood thing will be a little icky, but I can deal." Spike said.  
  
"You'll have to unless you want to starve. Some how I think that the other Spike wouldn't like that very much." Buffy said.  
  
"You know he has animal blood. Must not know how to get the good stuff." Spike said.  
  
"Really. Well I guess Willies hates him here to. So what's the plan. You know calling up the rest of the little Scooby Gang and working this out." Buffy said.  
  
"Right I'll call everyone and we can go to the Magic Box." Willow said.  
  
"Dawn has to get to school." Spike said.  
  
"I think this is bigger then school." Dawn said stubbornly.  
  
"I don't care. You've been missing too many days as it is. You're going and that's finally." Spike said.  
  
"Whoa that was weird. Spike rarely scolds me like that and even when he scolds me it's more like 'Grr I'm going to rip out your eyeballs and make a soup out of your brain.'" Dawn said.  
  
"That's so lame. If I were him it would be I'm going to pop your little head like a zit." Buffy said.  
  
"Right thanks for the imagery Buff." Dawn said.  
  
"Sorry, Bit, the other you would know I'm just playing around." Buffy said.  
  
"You've said that to my sister. I'm starting to think that maybe she's a sadist." Spike said.  
  
"It's your genes."  
  
"So that settles it. Dawn goes to school we go to the Magic Box." Willow said.  
  
"Not to state the obvious that isn't that obvious yet, but how am I going to get there." Spike asked.  
  
"Oh right you don't know the tunnel system. I wonder if everything's the same in the other Sunnydale. I mean this is huge news." Willow said.  
  
"Don't' seem a little too gleeful, Red." Buffy said.  
  
"Yeah Wills I know this is bounce worthy for you, but let's focus on the big picture." Spike said.  
  
"Oh right sorry. Well I'll tell everyone to come here. I mean the only other people are Tara and Anya. Xander should be here any minute to pick Dawn up for school." Willow said. As if by magic the doorbell rang brining a happy Xander to the doorstep.  
  
"I'll get it." Willow said walking over to the door. Dawn looked back at Buffy and Spike.  
  
"So in the other dimension are you and me friends." Dawn asked pointing to Buffy.  
  
"Yeah we are." Buffy said.  
  
"So Spike died cause he's the Slayer saving my life and you watched me over the summer." Dawn said.  
  
"That's right." Buffy said.  
  
"So what's the big deal Wills." Xander said walking into the kitchen.  
  
"And what's Captain Peroxide doing here." Xander said looking in Spike's direction. For a second Spike had a puzzled look on his face at Xander's anger filled voice.  
  
"Who's he talking about?" Spike asked.  
  
"You I'd wager. Your hair is a little, extreme to say the least." Buffy said.  
  
"Really how bad. You know I don't have a reflection." Spike said.  
  
"Think Billy Idol." Buffy said.  
  
"You're kidding right. God what was he thinking. I mean sure my hair was like that for a while, but I changed the look. He probably can't see it, but really. Have some sense in style. Look at these clothes." Spike said.  
  
"I don't see anything wrong with them. This Spike has very good taste. The hair's good to. Better then that two toned thing you've got going on." Buffy said plucking at his shirt.  
  
"Says the queen of all that is gothic." Spike retorted.  
  
"Okay what's going on with those two?" Xander asked puzzled.  
  
"Well apparently the essence of our Spike and Buffy were shifted with the essence of another Spike and Buffy from another dimension." Willow said.  
  
"There wouldn't happen to be a translation of that in English would there." Xander asked sarcastically.  
  
"Basically there's another dimension where Buffy's sort of like the Spike from our dimension and a Spike that's sort of like the Buffy in our dimension. Total different like they switched lives in that dimension. Now that Spike and Buffy are here."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"This is going to take awhile."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Tara and Anya sat in chairs across from the sofa that Buffy and Spike were sitting quietly on.  
  
"Well it is definitely a shift in essences. Although I'm sensing something else from our Buffy and Spike. I can't exactly clarify it yet, but give me time." Tara said.  
  
"What's it like in the other dimension. Is everything exactly the exact same as here besides the obvious." Anya asked anxiously.  
  
"It seems so. I mean we don't know everything yet. Some things could be very different and we just haven't figured it out yet." Spike said.  
  
"It's weird hearing you talk without the accent." Anya said.  
  
"Well it's weird to try and talk around it." Spike said.  
  
"Yeah things are weird we've established that." Buffy said.  
  
"It's different to hear Buffy talking all grumpy like too." Anya said.  
  
"Well we'll just have to get used to it until we figure out how to change it back to the normal. That's going to take a lot of research though. This could be a spell or something much bigger. We have no idea what kind of magicks it's going to take to break this thing. It might just be Buffy and Spike have to figure out a way to fix this on their own." Willow said.  
  
"So what are we waiting for. The sooner I get back to our Sunnyhell the sooner I can get away from it." Buffy said.  
  
"Let's not involve them with our problems." Spike said.  
  
"Right. They probably don't know. If everything's the same then that means everything's the same." Buffy said giving Spike a knowing look.  
  
"Yes and if everything's the same then it really isn't our place to tell them this." Spike said knowing how he would feel if the secret got out.  
  
This Buffy who was the Slayer and most likely going through the same thing didn't need the questions when they got back.  
  
"Oh my god what if they're telling the others about. . ." Spike trailed off looking with fearful eyes at Buffy.  
  
"If I was the other Spike I'd do it." Buffy said flippantly.  
  
"Yeah but they aren't the same people. Oh god he's going to ruin my life isn't." Spike said.  
  
"Probably not." Buffy said.  
  
"But you just said. . ."  
  
"I'd definitely think about it. Then I'd see the fear written on your face and stop myself." Buffy said.  
  
"So you don't think he. . ."  
  
"No he didn't." Buffy said.  
  
"That's good." Spike said taking a sigh.  
  
"Okay what was that all about." Anya said.  
  
"Something to do with their dimension obviously. Let's not pry." Tara said knowing what this Spike was worried about.  
  
"Okay well that's good so let's. . ."  
  
"Okay let me just let it be known that I don't entirely believe this whole thing. Deadboy Jr. could have put a spell on Buffy to make her believe she was a vampire and then it backfired." Xander said from a far corner in the house. He had been eyeing Spike since he came back from dropping off Dawn.  
  
"I would never. . . oh wait maybe he would, but not me. I swear, Xan, I'm from a different dimension. There were friends and I'm the Slayer and we met when I was fifteen after burning down my gym at Hemory and getting expelled." Spike said.  
  
"A likely story." Xander said stubbornly.  
  
"I swear. Ask me any question that this Spike wouldn't know about. You know about our past." Spike said. "Let's not play into the delusion." Xander said.  
  
"I'm serious. Oh okay let's see. We stopped the Harvest when I first moved here from Sunnydale. We went to save Jesse from the vampires under the school where the graveyard was. You had to stake him and got mad at me for a little while before forgiving me. Oh I wanted to get expelled from school and said maybe that excessive studying would get me kicked out. Willow wanted to blow somethin up." Spike said.  
  
Xander looked like he wanted to believe that it was all true. That in some other dimension he and Spike got along. That Spike had taken the place of Buffy and Buffy had taken the place of Spike, but it was all too weird.  
  
"I didn't have a crush on you did I." Xander asked hesitantly.  
  
"No that was Willow." Spike said.  
  
"Oh good. So I'm not gay in that dimension."  
  
"Nope you and Anya are getting married on. . . wow it's already two weeks from now." Spike said.  
  
"Okay this isn't the other Spike. No matter how many times I've told him when the wedding was he would forget." Xander said.  
  
"It's really only two weeks away. Wow that's soon." Buffy said.  
  
"So what are we going to do? I mean this is big. Another dimension with Buffy and Spike only in reverse." Willow said.  
  
"Well some might say that your dimension is reverse." Buffy said. "Right which ever way you want to put it it's huge." Willow said.  
  
"So are you gay in that dimension?" Anya asked blatantly looking in Spike's direction.  
  
"What!? Where would you get any idea like that?" Spike asked.  
  
"Well there had to be a reverse or something. I mean here Buffy and Angel were together and then there was Buffy and Riley." Anya said.  
  
"Oh, you mean Angel wasn't Mister Psycho vamp?" Spike said.  
  
"Watch your tongue." Buffy muttered.  
  
Spike heard her, much to his wonderment.  
  
"I thought you were over him. 'Oh Spike I'll stake him for you. It's all for you.'" Spike said imitating Buffy's voice and accent perfectly although the accent was already there.  
  
"How did you. . . oh right you're a vampire. I keep forgetting that." Buffy said.  
  
"So Angel was psycho in your reality?" Xander said.  
  
"Cool, I never liked him."  
  
Willow rolled her eyes at Xander.  
  
"So who was the vampire with the soul in your dimension." Tara asked.  
  
"Oh you mean Dru. She has a soul in our dimension." Spike said. He surprised himself by being able to say her name and not choke on it.  
  
"Yeah Drusilla. Nancy chit Uncle Tom Drusilla." Buffy said.  
  
"I'm guessing that the no love thing Spike and Angel have goes for Buffy and Drusilla." Willow said.  
  
"So not only are Buffy and Spike reversed, but so are Angel and Drusilla. Okay I can take all this in." Xander said.  
  
"It's not really that hard. So who's Riley in your reality?" Willow asked.  
  
"Riley was part of The Initiative I'm guessing. Well then that be Cowgirl Rene." Buffy said.  
  
"Hey I only dissed one of your ex's. That's two." Spike said.  
  
"Well I only have one." Buffy said.  
  
"What about that stupid jock friend of Cordelia's. Harvey." Spike said.  
  
"That was all about sex." Buffy said.  
  
"Buffy!" Xander said.  
  
"What? Remember Harris I'm not the same little Slayer you're used to. Different all around remember." Buffy said.  
  
"Oh yeah right. Must have slipped my mind for a second. So do we have a plan." Xander said.  
  
"Not yet. I guess the plan is to just keep researching and hope something comes up. Meanwhile this Buffy will just have to keep up appearances. Got to work and patrol as usual." Tara said.  
  
"Whoa, what are you talking about. I'm not going to work at that Doublemeat Hell. Have you seen the hats? No, no, no!" Buffy said getting up to pace around.  
  
"Buffy you have to." Willow said.  
  
"No the other Buffy had to and Spikey over there had to, but me, I don't have to. I figure this body isn't that flammable to sunlight so maybe I should just leave now." Buffy said.  
  
"What you can't do that. That isn't your body." Xander said.  
  
"Try and stop me, Harris. I'm not going to be the little Slayer." Buffy said.  
  
"Buffy if you leave we may never get to go back." Spike said.  
  
"What do I care. You live as a vampire and see how you like it especially around a group of people who hate your guts. Me I'm thinking Costa Rica." Buffy said.  
  
"But Buffy you have responsibilities. You have to at least consider the other Buffy's feelings." Tara said.  
  
"No I don't. I don't. . ."  
  
Buffy stopped when she felt a strange twinge in her chest. It was something akin to guilt and a certain dedication to do good for her friends.  
  
"Stop it! This isn't my fight. I have to get out of here." Buffy said running towards the door.  
  
"Buffy stop." Spike said following after her. She opened the door and walked out. Spike scrambled away from the door holding his burnt arm.  
  
"Ow, shit." Spike said hissing at his still sizzling arm.  
  
Willow and Xander rushed over to him.  
  
"She's gone. Is she going to come back?" Xander asked closing the door.  
  
"I don't know. Tara get me some antiseptic. That's a pretty good burn." Willow said to Spike.  
  
"Yeah I'm sort of not use to them yet. That's the third burn today." Spike said. "Will she be back." Xander asked Spike. Xander was looking at him with pleading eyes.  
  
"I think so. If I know her she will, but it's hard to say. There are some things going on that might make her stay away. I could probably find her though. And I just said that I'd find Buffy. I really need to get home." Spike said.  
  
"Yeah well we really need the Slayer. A sane Slayer." Xander said.  
  
"You've got me. Don't know if that's much of a substitute considering Buffy's your friend, but if it's just a Slayer you need, I'm you guy." Spike said.  
  
"We also need a sane Buffy." Xander said.  
  
"She's sane. She's just a little scared. And something happened. Something rushed over her for a moment when she was saying that she didn't care about leaving. It's got to be the key to whatever's happening." Tara said holding out the antiseptic.  
  
"Well whatever it was we have to wait for her to come back in order to question her about it. I have a feeling this is going to be a bumpy ride." Willow said taking the antiseptic.  
  
"Yeah well whatever it takes, I'm getting back home. Even if that means knocking her over the head like a caveman." Spike hissed when the antiseptic made contact with his skin. He could feel a dull burning sensation on his arm and his ear was scabbing from the earlier burn.  
  
"I hate being a vampire."  
  
A/N: Okay watch you think? Pretty good or pretty bad. Review to keep this story alive. I've have lots of fun writing it, but my other two stories are getting neglected. I can't spend my time on a story people don't like so review telling me to keep it going. Next chapter will take place right after Buffy left and will see it through the real Spike's perspective. If you have know idea what I meant by that then just wait for the update and it will explain all. 


	5. Okay So Maybe It IS The Weight Of The Wo...

Disclaimer: No sadly I don't own them. Sure I own all the seasons of Buffy on DVD that are out, but the characters are not mine. They belong to Joss Whedon and company. The luckiest people in the world if you ask me.  
  
Distribution: Sure go ahead ask first  
  
A/N: Okay so here's a warning, this might be slightly confusing. Just try to remember what happened in the last chappy and just think that Spike and Buffy (the regular ones that are stuck in the human and vampire body) had that happen to them. I HOPE that it flows well. If it doesn't, well then just wait till the next chappy. The next two chappies will be in one dimension.  
  
It just saves chapters and my fingers if we do it this way since everything is exactly the same. And shifting into dimensions every so often in chappies was getting a little confusing for me. So here you go. It you don't get it send a review saying what was confusing and I'll work on it.  
  
Chapter 5:  
  
Spike was walking in the sunlight. In direct sunlight and not burning. Sure the sun wasn't beating down hard on his like he would have liked, but it was good enough. Leaving the house was totally irresponsible, but hey he was an evil vampire for heaven sakes.  
  
That Scooby Gang expected him to be the fearless leader they were used to and the feeling was almost drowning. Guilt and a certain sense of responsibility had flooded over him along with the feeling of despair and loneliness that was sure to come with it. A certain sense of dread that just couldn't be shaken off.  
  
This morning he woke up in what looked like Buffy's room, but slightly more manly. He was wearing clothes that he wouldn't wear in a million years. Something akin to gray sweats and a big white shirt with socks. His closet was filled with light colored clothes and not his regular black ensembles that he was used to.  
  
He had chosen easy simple clothes. A pair of loose fitting jeans and a green shirt. This guy really needed a lesson in shopping. He woke up in a place that was not his Sunnydale. All he wanted to do was get up, wait until the sun went down and get out of the Hellhole, but he was stuck now. Sure he said he would just take off, but how could he. This wasn't what he really wanted.  
  
Sure as a vampire there were a few things he missed. The sun was one of them, but he loved being a vampire. Maybe he had a chip, but he had enough sense to enjoy his time as a vampire. Being a vampire was his destiny. This. . . being the leader and things just weren't him.  
  
He just couldn't stand it right now. So here he stood or rather sat on one of the park benches soaking up the sun. It had to be at least three, but as a human he couldn't tell the time by the way things smelled anymore. He had only seen the park during the night and it was always dead and cold like the cemeteries.  
  
During the day it was full and vibrant. Things were alive. Parents were playing happily with their children. Teenage kids were walking around with each other. Couples were walking hand in hand with each other. Yeah this is exactly why he'd go back later.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"So you really think he'll come back?" Dawn asked for the umpteenth time since she got home from school.  
  
It was weird to see Dawn so worried about Spike. She acted like he was her brother, which in this universe he was. Buffy was just another helper in the fight against evil. The roles were reversed. Things were very different here.  
  
"Yes, is Spike is anything it's predictable. He'll definitely come back here." Buffy said.  
  
"Oh that's good. I don't know what I'd do if he didn't come back. I know this isn't our Spike, but it our Spike's body." Willow said.  
  
"Yeah I guess it is. Everything's so different here. Spike, the one that's here, well he's not exactly used to responsibilities. He is a vampire you know." Buffy said.  
  
"Yeah we got that part of this whole confusing thing. It's just so weird to see him act this way. I mean we know it's not him, but it looks like him. It looks like my best friend, but it isn't. It's some other guy who just happens to be him from another dimension and how confusing is this." Xander said.  
  
"It is very confusing. All these different memories. They seem the same from what you've told us, only in reverse. It's lie down worthy." Willow said.  
  
"I promise Spike will come back. He just has to get things in order." Buffy said  
  
. "I still don't understand all this. How this could happen." Dawn said.  
  
"It doesn't look like a spell. I can't feel that any spell was done. Spells generally leave a sort of residue." Tara said.  
  
"I thought you could only see that if you did another spell. You know like the time I did it to see if my mom was getting sick because of Glory." Buffy said. Everyone looked at her strangely.  
  
"Right Spike did that not me."  
  
"Well you're right, but usually witches who are empathic can feel it as well. It's like a weird sensation, but it doesn't fell like there was a spell done. And also when Spike was first leaving there was a sudden jolt of something. Some sort of feeling that I can't really comprehend. It was like it was trying to force itself on him and he was making it leave. Like it wasn't really the Spike from your dimension that was feeling it, but the Spike from ours." Tara said.  
  
"Okay I'm going to go out on a limb and say 'what?'" Xander said.  
  
"It's fairly simple, honey. Spike the vampire is getting feelings from Spike the Slayer." Anya said.  
  
"Yeah that sums it up in a few amount of words." Tara said.  
  
"Happy to help." Anya said with a big grin on her face.  
  
"Feelings. . . that's it. That creepy guy at my work. He said to just let the feeling rush over you. We have to find him." Buffy said.  
  
"That's all we have to go on. Some creepy guy at your work. A work that happens to be in another dimension. Yeah that's really helpful." Xander spat.  
  
"Xander, she's just trying to help." Dawn said.  
  
"Yeah well it's not helping." Xander said.  
  
"Yeah well yelling isn't going to help." Willow said.  
  
"We need to remain calm." Tara said.  
  
"I'm trying, but we're down a Slayer here." Xander said.  
  
Buffy listened to the Scooby Gang argue and wondered if that's how the gang back at her dimension looked like when she wasn't around. No one listened to her. She was the Spike of this dimension. No one cared about her. Buffy felt a weird sensation pass through her body.  
  
It was like a feeling of helplessness that seemed to be choking her even though she now didn't need to breath. It invaded her senses until all she could feel was that feeling. It was a mixture of sorts. Pain, anger, hostility, but also loneliness and worthlessness.  
  
ike she had no place where she belonged. It was so strong and so heartbreaking. This was how this Buffy felt whenever she was around the Scooby Gang and they didn't listen to her and it was undoubtedly how Spike felt when he was placed in the same situation.  
  
Buffy started coughing loudly and panicking. Nothing like this feeling had ever over taken her before. Her own feelings were strong, but it seemed like this was magnified.  
  
"Buffy what's wrong." Tara asked softly.  
  
"No, don't pretend like you care. You only use me for help." Buffy screamed.  
  
"Is this our Buffy?" Xander asked.  
  
"No I can still feel the other Buffy's presence, but like I said our Buffy's feelings are somehow making it through to her. Making her feel the pain that she goes through." Tara said.  
  
"Is she doing it on purpose." Dawn asked.  
  
"No, Dawnie it's most likely all part of the spell." Willow said.  
  
"Buffy just calm down okay. The feeling will pass if you calm down." Tara said.  
  
"How could you all be so mean? Making her feel like this. Oh it's so. . . painful." Buffy said not really listening to Tara's words.  
  
"Buffy this is all part of something. If you just calm down maybe we can. . ." Willow began, but was cut of by Buffy's growl of pain.  
  
She vamped. It was a weird feeling to vamp out. Buffy remembered doing so this morning, but that was out of sheer hunger. She thought back to the time when nightmares were running Sunnydale.  
  
She hadn't exactly 'vamped' then either. It wasn't painful like she imagined it would be. It was more like blinking and not feeling any different. She wouldn't be able to tell right now that she had a vamp face if it weren't for that slight tingle she got when she first shifted.  
  
"Oh god what's going on?" Dawn asked in a scared voice.  
  
"It's so painful she's vamping out to trying and make the pain go away." Willow said.  
  
"Don't worry Dawn she can't hurt us. Chip remember." Xander said. Buffy heard none of this.  
  
She attacked anyway. She jumped at them only to fly back at the extreme pain in her head. Stupid chip.  
  
"Okay, Buffy now that you got zapped, maybe you could calm down now." Xander said.  
  
Buffy didn't change back nor did she stop growling.  
  
"Or not your call."  
  
"She's just reverting back to old vampire ways. Keeping herself safe, but I doubt the pain's gone. I can still feel something lingering." Tara said.  
  
"How do we make it go away?" Willow asked.  
  
"We don't. She has too." Tara said.  
  
"No offence meant or anything, but how. She doesn't exactly look like the most stable vampire in the world and no way am I going near her." Anya said.  
  
"I don't know. She has to figure that out." Tara said.  
  
"All right look I'm not doing this because. . . what the bloody hell is going on here." Spike asked.  
  
He had finally decided to stop delaying the inevitable and go back to Buffy's house. . . his house. It was well after dark and he figured he might as well go there then have them search for him. Buffy, being a vampire now would probably pick up on his scent. He wasn't prepared to see a growling vamp Buffy and awe struck Scooby Gang just staring at her.  
  
"Well that's weird to hear." Dawn said.  
  
"It's weird to say without the accent. Now what's going on here." Spike asked.  
  
"Well we were just talking about possible ways to fix this mix up and Xander started getting all 'this isn't helping' on her and she freaked." Dawn said.  
  
"She's not used to it. You're supposed to be her friends or at least that's how it is where we come from." Spike said.  
  
"Sorry, man, it's just, you know after being so snide and mean to each other all these years, it's kind of hard to give up." Xander said in a friendly tone Spike wasn't used to.  
  
"Yeah well what made her vamp out?" Spike asked.  
  
"Well I guess the pain was too much to bear." Dawn said.  
  
"Pain what pain?" Spike said with a hint of anger in his voice.  
  
"Okay that's new to." Xander said.  
  
"Well Xander you got to figure that if Buffy and Spike were totally reversed then this Spike is in love with this Buffy." Dawn said.  
  
"Okay I'll pretend to get that." Xander said.  
  
"The pain from the feelings." Tara said ignoring Dawn and Xander after seeing the anxious look on Spike's face.  
  
"Feelings?" Spike said still confused although his anger had gone down.  
  
"Early when you took off, you felt some sort of feeling right?" Tara asked.  
  
"Yeah it was a weird twinge in my chest and it sort of felt like. . . guilt." Spike said snorting after he said guilt.  
  
"Well it would appear that you're picking up on some of the feelings that our Buffy and Spike feel everyday. I'm guessing it was something really big for her to start acting like. . . that." Tara said pointing to the still vamped still shaking Buffy.  
  
"Wait you said Xander was telling her that she wasn't helping." Spike asked.  
  
"Yup very helpful he was." Dawn said.  
  
"Oh I know what it is." Spike said.  
  
"Do we get the inside scoop." Willow asked.  
  
"It was a feeling of worthlessness." Spike said.  
  
"How could you possibly. . . oh right." Xander said.  
  
"Wait she feels worthless. Our Buffy feels worthless. Because of us." Dawn asked.  
  
"Oh not because of you bit. You're probably one of the only people that brighten up my. . . her day. It's sitting in on the Scooby meetings and having your ideas shoved in your face that'll do it." Spike said.  
  
The Scoobies looked at one another with guilt on their faces. Even Xander felt a twinge of guilt at the description of what Buffy felt. Spike slowly walked over to Buffy.  
  
"Pet, you gotta stop shaking, okay." Spike said in the most soothing voice he could conjure up.  
  
Buffy looked up at him with her yellow eyes. She seemed to be looking to the side of him rather then right at him.  
  
"Okay?" Spike asked again. He placed a hand on her arm and she stilled.  
  
"Good that wasn't so hard. Now maybe it would be better if you got off of the floor." Spike said. Buffy shakily tried to pull herself up. She was weakened emotionally and physically.  
  
"Here, let me help." Spike said pulling her up and letting her weight be supported on him.  
  
"Okay that's better. Let's get you upstairs and into your. . . my cozy warm bed." Spike said.  
  
He wasn't sure he'd ever get used to calling this house his. Buffy moved forward on shaky legs. They walked up the stairs and to Spike's room.  
  
Spike gently placed Buffy on the bed and as soon as he let go of her she fell asleep. Spike took that opportunity to give the room a quick once over. It didn't look like anything he would ever live in. It was a green color without a trace of black anywhere. There were a few posters of various bands that Spike knew the names of.  
  
The bed was a blue color and that stuffed pig that Buffy had was propped up on one of the pillows. Someone had made the bed while he was out. A radio and CD collection sat in on of the corners of the room. Spike looked over the CD's. Some were things he would think of having, but others were totally not him. There was a New Found Glory CD in there for heaven's sake.  
  
At least the guy was into rock and not sissy pop or rap. He'd have to put the guy out of his misery if that was the case. The desk was pretty bare save for a few pictures. Pictures of him and Dawn and of him and Joyce and the one picture that looked so much like the picture of Buffy and the Scoobies that she had in her room. There wasn't a mirror in the room.  
  
Spike opened one of the drawers. Stakes, crosses, and Holy water were the occupants of the first drawer. The other drawers were almost bare except for the papers and yearbooks. There was a least one stake in each drawer.  
  
"Boy you over did it a little too much." Spike muttered.  
  
On the floor clothes were strewn everywhere and there was occasional empty Twinkie or Ho-Ho wrapper.  
  
"You're a bit of a slob, too." Spike walked over to the closet.  
  
Plain clothes stood on hangers. Nothing special or outlandish about them. There were a few black items, but mostly blues and greens. His Doublemeat uniform stood in the back with various jackets.  
  
"Well at least you don't dress like, Harris. And your shoes are okay." Spike mumbled picking up a pair of converse high-tops. Spike walked over to the nightstand. On it sat a clock and a small light. It was the only black piece of furniture that stood in the room.  
  
The bookcase was right next to the closet. There were more pictures on it and various papers. There were a lot of books. Books galore. Some were stupid comic books or just the occasional easy fun book. The rest. . . well they were slightly more intellectual. Spike recognized all of the titles. One book was slightly pulled out like the person who had been looking at it had just lightly pushed it back in.  
  
"Catcher and the Rye. Huh." Spike said.  
  
The book was worn. Like it had been read over and over again. Like it was the favorite. Over all the poetry, Harry Potter, James Patterson's, mystery, and the occasional comic book and sci-fi junk it was the most revered. It was the one he must have liked above all.  
  
"Kid has good taste." Spike said.  
  
There were two drawers in the nightstand. In the first drawer there were a few, of what this Spike would consider, valuable items. His high school diploma, which was a little burnt, was stashed away in a neat little corner. Letters were strewn inside the drawer. Mostly bills, but at the bottom there were some from 'his dad' and others from various friends and relatives.  
  
The second drawer was a bit more full. Aside from the candy and assorted junk food, there were drawings and what appeared to be poems. Very good poems.  
  
"So the nancy boy writes, and pretty good." Spike mumbled.  
  
There were short stories and there appeared to be a lot of novel sized ones. All left unfinished. There was a leather bound book in the far corner. Spike flipped through the pages. It appeared to be a diary. It ended somewhere around the time he came to Sunnydale.  
  
Spike neatly closed the book, placed it back in the drawer, and closed the drawer. He stood up and gave on final look at the room. It all seemed so human. Like a very boring, very normal twenty-something kid lived there. Well maybe not normal after looking in the small arsenal in the drawers, but from a quick glance it would appear normal enough.  
  
"Weird isn't it." Spike looked over at the doorway.  
  
Tara was standing there just looking from him to Buffy.  
  
"Were you staring?" Spike asked feeling a bit embarrassed for snooping around in other people's things.  
  
The feeling passed as he realized how ridiculous that was. Technically this was his stuff and he was a vampire what did he care if he was looking through other people's things.  
  
"I've only been here for a minute. It's really weird isn't. To see your face in one of the pictures over there and know that somewhere else there's an exact same picture, but with someone else's face. That this room belongs to someone else, but it looks like it would be yours." Tara said.  
  
"Well this Spike has to take a lesson in taste before I could call it anything I would live in." Spike said.  
  
"Still it's weird to be caught in another dimension where nothings the same. I wonder how Buffy and Spike, the ones from here, or doing where you came from." Tara said.  
  
"Probably not that much better then us. There are differences though so we can't be sure what's happening." Spike said.  
  
"Yeah, I just hope they're okay. I mean the mass confusion alone is bound to make anyone go crazy." Tara said.  
  
A silence fell over Tara and Spike.  
  
"You know I know." Tara said in a soft voice.  
  
"I figured you did. I mean from my dimension the birthday fiasco. Muscle cramp in my pants and all that." Spike said.  
  
"Oh, yeah, confused for a second then I remembered that everything is all backwards where you come from. You told me about you two." Tara said.  
  
"That means Buffy told the other about us as well. Never thought she'd have the guts to do that. I'm her little secret you know."  
  
"And she's yours. I mean here anyway."  
  
"Yeah I guess so. You know I just don't get it. I try to do everything I can to be the right person for her, but it's never enough."  
  
"Well maybe that's because she has the weight of the world on her shoulders. She wants to admit that she feels something for you, but she's got people to think about."  
  
Spike started pacing around the room.  
  
"Why does she care? I try to see it and I still don't get it. If her friends are really her friends then why shouldn't they be happy if she's happy? Because they've created this image of her that she feels she has to live up to. A slayer isn't supposed to have friends or ties anyway. She's only obligated to two people: herself and Dawn." Spike said.  
  
"Maybe that's why you've been switched and have the other Spike's feelings. He knows what your Buffy's going through. Maybe it has something to do with showing you why Buffy can't let herself admit how she feels." Tara said as though she were having an epiphany. Spike looked at her seriously.  
  
"You think so. I mean could that be why we're trapped here?" Spike asked with hopeful eyes.  
  
"Maybe. Maybe you guys have to do something big, but you can't do that if you're separated and fighting. So this wouldn't be a spell some witch cast on you and I wouldn't be able to feel the spell residue. Some higher power would have to have enough magic to pull this off and make it totally undetectable." Tara said.  
  
"So what I'm just supposed to go through the feelings and go day by day trying to understand what Buffy goes through, while she what, sits around watching TV." Spike asked.  
  
"Spike I really don't think that she'll be having a picnic. She can obviously feel the pain of the other Buffy so she's here to understand how you feel. Go through the things that you have to go through daily."  
  
" Yeah well to her that would be a walk through the park."  
  
"I don't think so. We got a taste of what exactly it would be like for her. She couldn't even take the pain. She had to revert to vampire form. She'll probably have some difficulties in the vampire department. You'll have to help her with that." Tara said.  
  
"Yeah I guess I will. This is going to be a very long trip." Spike said with a sigh.  
  
"Yeah well the sooner you guys figure out what the heck is keeping you here, you'll overcome it and be able to go back home."  
  
"Yeah to an empty crypt and some old animal blood. Oh joy."  
  
"It' can't be all that bad." Tara said.  
  
"I was going to leave because of it. The whole being used thing doesn't sit well with me anymore."  
  
"Well maybe she'll see the error of her ways and then you won't have a reason to leave." Tara said optimistically.  
  
"You know that's what I always liked about you, Glenda." Spike said looking over at the witch sitting next to him.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Oh just the fact that you can be upbeat and cheery no matter what the situation is. I guess the Scooby Gang here didn't change much. Harris is still a jackass. Anya seems to be her ex-vengeance demon self. Willow's got that peppy research will solve all problems attitude. Dawn's still an innocent teenager and you, well you're the most together of the bunch."  
  
"Thanks I'll take that as a compliment."  
  
A/N: Okay so whatcha think? Come on you know you wanna review. You don't get to have another chapter if you don't. Yes technically I can do that. So come one review for another chapter. You know you wanna. 'Cause you know what to do-ou. Okay so that was weird. I have that new Outkast song stuck in my head. That Shake it like a Polaroid picture. It won't go away. Maybe some Red Hot Chili Peppers will make it go away. I don't know why KROQ plays that song. Anyhoo getting back to reviewing. Do it because it's the right thing to do, that is if you want more. 


	6. The Texture Of Blood Is Soppy And Thick

Disclaimer: Don't own the characters. They belong to an evil genius named Joss. Although I don't know if he's evil or not.  
  
Distribution: Go ahead. Ask first  
  
Spoilers: None  
  
A/N: Okay here you go. Another chappy to this wonderful story that everyone seems to love so much. Big thanks and wishes of cookies and Spike to everyone who reviewed. You guys are truly the greatest. I mean just look at all the reviews. There are five chapters and FORTY reviews. That's like eight reviews a chappy! So again big thanks. Oh and to Migya if you go my email and just haven't had a chance to answer that's cool. You can totally post this story on your site. Just give me the address so I can see where my baby's going. To PassionFish, thanks for the idea about writing alternate dimension before writing. I'll remember to do that if a chapter absolutely has to be set in both dimensions. On with the story!  
  
Chapter 6:  
  
Spike could feel his head pounding. Big time. He didn't remember much before he passed out. Little flashes came back to him but the bulk of his experience was a blur. One thing was for certain though. He was still in his vamp face. Spike shook his head repeatedly trying to figure out how to get rid of his demon features, but they would budge. How had it been so easy before, but now it was so hard to do.  
  
"Hey don't hurt yourself. It's really easy to do you know."  
  
Spike turned to see Buffy sitting in one of the chairs in his room like she was wanted in there; like she belonged in there and sitting in that chair that was next to his desk was the most normal thing in the world.  
  
It was though. Here it definitely was. She was the one that belonged in this world and he was the outsider. The vampire that didn't really have a place so he hung around people who hated him because of some sense of whatever. This wasn't his room. The room itself looked like his, but the belongings weren't his. This bed wasn't his and that chair that Buffy sat in wasn't his.  
  
"So you came back." Spike said looking at Buffy with his demon face.  
  
"Yeah I guess you don't remember much after your little pouncing fest." Buffy said calmly.  
  
She was obviously getting used to her voice being quote 'Southern California Preppy.'  
  
"No I don't and if someone can please get into explain-y mode to tell me what the hell happened it would be greatly appreciated." Spike said.  
  
"Maybe you might want to you know get rid of the face." Buffy said.  
  
Spike closed his eyes and shook his head some more. After a few minutes of this with no results he stopped rubbing his temples to keep the dizziness at bay.  
  
"It's not working." Spike said in the best whiney voice this Spike's voice would allow.  
  
"Well that's because you're not concentrating on the task at hand. It's not like shaking of dust." Buffy said.  
  
"Oh then what is it like oh great one." Spike asked sarcastically.  
  
"Just close your eyes and think about not having your demon face." Buffy said.  
  
Spike let out an over dramatic sigh and closed his eyes. He waited five minutes before saying, "Is it gone yet."  
  
"No you're not concentrating."  
  
"Yes I am. This is really hard. I don't know how you vampires do it. I mean you make it look so easy." Spike complained.  
  
"Well most fledgings go awhile before learning how to change their face normally. Since you're a master vamp and were made to be a childe it shouldn't be that hard. Most minions keep their vampire faces on throughout their whole existence."  
  
"Spare me the vampire lecture. Just tell me how to fix this." Spike said huffily.  
  
"Geez such the baby. Always were. You should really learn to grow-up Slayer."  
  
"Whatever just help me. Please?" Spike said.  
  
"Well since you asked so nicely. Think about lemons." Buffy said.  
  
"Lemons, why lemons?"  
  
"Just do it."  
  
"Do I have to close me eyes?"  
  
"Probably the best to start out with."  
  
"Okay so I'm closing my eyes and I'm thinking about lemons. Any special aspect of the lemon I'm thinking about?"  
  
"Try remembering the sour taste they left in your mouth." Buffy said.  
  
Spike did what he was told. For a second his nose scrunched up and his cheeks were sucked in as he remembered how sour lemons could be. Then his face changed back to normal.  
  
"Did it work?" he asked eagerly.  
  
"Yep, it worked. Lemon thing still works."  
  
"Is that like a vampire trick of the trade or something you came up with on your own?" Spike asked.  
  
"Actually Drusilla taught me that one."  
  
"Oh." Spike said.  
  
"Geez you're going to need someone to teach you all the vampire stuff aren't you?" Buffy said.  
  
"Yeah I guess I am. Should be a weird experience."  
  
"It will be. Great I never wanted a childe. That's why I never sired anyone. Now I have you to look after."  
  
"Hey it's not like I don't know anything about vampires. I know stuff."  
  
"Yeah how to kill them. One step out of this house and you might go into sensory overload. I don't think you want that."  
  
"Sure whatever you say. Can we please go back to the meeting? Do you want to get back to our dimension or not."  
  
"I do, but do you really think that's such a good idea. When you were out there you kind of went a little crazy." Buffy said.  
  
"That was something weird. It's not going to happen again." "I don't know about that."  
  
Spike looked at Buffy's face. She was hiding the truth from him, but she wouldn't be able to do it for that long. Her eyes always told the story.  
  
"Something you aren't telling me?" Spike asked in a gentle voice.  
  
"Well just that fact that it would appear. Well it would seem that things are, well there different, but something is happening. . ."  
  
"Would you just spit it out already. For a great Big Bad master vamp you are a terrible liar." "Well Tara and I came up with an idea that maybe we're here to feel some of the pain the other is feeling." Buffy said.  
  
"Wait I don't get it." Spike said.  
  
"Well we're feeling some of the feelings that the Buffy and Spike from this dimension feel on a regular basis. To show us what the other is feeling. A better understanding on things I guess."  
  
"So that feeling that I was feeling earlier was really the other Spike's feelings. He really feels that worthless." Spike asked.  
  
"Yeah I guess he does." Buffy said.  
  
"And if he feels that worthless then you. . ." Spike stopped himself from finishing that sentence.  
  
"It's no big deal then. The sooner we realize what the other is feeling the sooner you can go home to your Scoobies and do all the stuff that Slayers do." Buffy said.  
  
"So does this mean that you're going to do all the stuff that this Buffy has to do. Go to work and do all the stupid crummy stuff."  
  
"Yeah I guess it does."  
  
"So this is sort of like a day in the life of type of thing."  
  
"I guess."  
  
"Should be fun you know without actually being fun."  
  
"Sure whatever you say."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"What do think they're talking about up there?" Anya asked after it had become eerily quiet in the kitchen.  
  
"Buffy's probably explaining to Spike what's going on. You know the whole feelings deal." Willow said.  
  
"So there just supposed to go around feeling what the other is feeling and it's supposed to what teach them something." Xander asked.  
  
"That would appear so. I guess we'll just have to see the results." Tara said.  
  
"So there really is nothing we can do for them. We just have to sit and wait." Dawn said.  
  
"Basically Dawnie. I know this is a lot to take in because Buffy's gone and everything, but some higher power saw fit to do this and they just have to see how it plays out." Tara said.  
  
"Good." Dawn said.  
  
"What how is this good Dawnster?" Xander asked.  
  
"Now maybe Buffy will come back with a new appreciation for life. You know 'Hey I was pulled out of heaven, but at least I'm not a vampire.' It could serve her right. Then she'd also be able to feel all the crap Spike has to go through and take just because he loves her and wants to make right on his promises and everyone will stop treating him like crap because the all mighty leader told them it was okay." Dawn said.  
  
"Dawn we don't deliberately treat him like crap. Okay that didn't come out like I wanted it to." Willow said.  
  
"Sure you guys do. I try not to because I can see where he's come from, but you do treat him like an outsider. You always have. It's sad really that you treat him differently just because he's a demon." Anya said.  
  
"Anya this isn't a demon rights discussion here. We aren't discussing being racist against demons or anything like that. We simply just don't get along with Spike." Xander said.  
  
"Have you ever tried. Have you ever once sat down and said 'hey Spike let's go out for a beer and discuss sports.' No because you're to busy seeing only black and white to realize what you're doing." Anya said.  
  
"The only reason he acts like this is because of the chip. If the chip was out he'd kill us all." Xander said.  
  
"Well maybe not kill you Harris, but I'd certainly think about wounding you severely." Xander turned around to see Buffy and Spike standing in the doorway of the kitchen.  
  
"Yeah that's the way to get accepted Buffy. Why not just tell the people that you're trying to get along with that you want to rip out their entrails." Spike said.  
  
"Rip out there entrails. You're getting good at this."  
  
"And that scares me. So what do we have here besides un-constructive arguing." Spike asked. "We've got a theory." Willow said.  
  
"Okay déjà vu and not in a good way. Let's never say the phrase 'I've got a theory or anything remotely like it." Xander said.  
  
"Yeah the musical fiasco should teach us that much." Anya said.  
  
"Okay then there's an idea floating around that maybe just maybe some higher being did this to teach you guys a lesson." Willow said.  
  
"So that's it. There's nothing we can do about it. Just like live with it." Spike said.  
  
"That would about sum it up. Maybe you should stay close though. Let's not have you going back to your crypt. You can stay in the basement." Willow said.  
  
"Ha! You have to stay in a basement." Buffy said. The group turned and looked at her oddly.  
  
"What I can't be happy that the roles are reversed and now the precious Slayer was to stay in a basement of doom." Buffy said.  
  
"Hey my basement wasn't that bad." Xander said.  
  
"Sure it wasn't and pigs like to fly on little wings." Buffy said. "I can do the basement. Sure it's icky and was recently flooded and there was that one time we found that dead cat. . . do you think maybe I could sleep on the couch. Now that I think about it the basement gives me the wiggins." Spike said.  
  
"Sure I guess you could sleep on the couch. It's not that comfortable though." Willow said.  
  
"It's better then a cot in the basement." Spike said.  
  
"You'll have to pull the blinds closed though. So you don't get extra crispy." Dawn said.  
  
"That I can do." Spike said.  
  
"Great now that that's settled can we please get some food I'm starved." Anya said.  
  
"Food. Real food." Buffy said.  
  
"Yup pizza or Chinese?" Dawn asked.  
  
"Pizza definitely pizza. No maybe Chinese. Well I didn't like Chinese when I went there, but it might taste different now. They come in those neat little boxes. And there'll be taste to them. I don't know someone else choose." Buffy said.  
  
"Geez Buff, it's a choice between two things. Not a life or death deal here." Dawn said.  
  
"Yeah, but its food. It's real food. You know as a vampire you can't really taste the food. It doesn't give you nourishment so it's basically tasteless. Eating really food as a human. That leaves a taste in your mouth." Buffy said.  
  
"Okay well if she's letting us decide it's pizza all around. How about two large pepperoni pizzas. Should be good." Xander said.  
  
"Yup order away." Willow said.  
  
"Well speaking of food and all that is nourishment I think I might need to go back to. . . my crypt and pick up a few things." Spike said.  
  
"Sure thing." The group responded.  
  
"Okay then I'll be on my way. Be back in a few minutes." Spike said getting ready to leave.  
  
"What you can't just go off on you own." Buffy said.  
  
"Are you volunteering to come with."  
  
"Sure why not. We're just waiting for food anyways. Should take awhile." Buffy said.  
  
"Okay then let's go." Spike said opening the door and walking out of it.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Buffy and Spike walked in silence all the way to Spike's crypt. The whole way Spike felt his skin tingling and could smell the pizza place that was at least two blocks away. Buffy was right about one thing. The extra sensory detail was giving him a headache.  
  
"Is there away to turn off my nose?" Spike asked Buffy when they were in front of the crypt.  
  
He could smell the heady smells of the not so great Sunnydale sewer system and that added to the crickets chirping in the distance were enough to make his head explode.  
  
"I told you that the enhanced sense would get to you. Should have just stayed back at. . . my house. Would be safer there." Buffy said pushing open the door.  
  
"Hey, I'm not defenseless. So what if the senses are going into overload. Nothing I can't handle." Spike said stubbornly.  
  
"Right sure whatever you say. Wow this place is a dump." Buffy said.  
  
"It's not that bad." Spike said feeling somewhat defensive over the dank crypt. Buffy gave him a questioning look.  
  
"Okay so it isn't your lap of luxury crypt, but it's. . . cozy on the bottom."  
  
"Well at least you have a TV. Albeit it is a little beat up and dumpster chic."  
  
"Well I don't think he can put on the seductive thing and shaky his boobs all over the place." Spike mumbled. Buffy looked at him with a gleam in her eyes.  
  
"Jealous, pet."  
  
Spike's eyes narrowed and he snorted.  
  
"Hardly. I don't care what you do with yourself. That's your own sordid deal. I'm going downstairs to gather some clothes. You get the blood okay." Spike said.  
  
"Sure whatever." Buffy said as she watched Spike descend to the lower level of the crypt.  
  
She carefully made her way to small fridge that sat atop a sarcophagus. She opened the filthy little door and stared inside. There were a few packets of blood, not in hospital tags like hers had been in, but regular butcher most likely cow blood that could come in any meat type product.  
  
There was beer, lots and lots of beer. In the far left corner of the fridge hidden behind the beer and the blood was a few chocolate bars.  
  
"Well at least the guy likes chocolate." Buffy muttered grabbing the remaining bags of blood and stuffing them into a bag she had enough sense to grab before leaving. If caring around several bags of cow blood wasn't suspicious then Buffy didn't know what was.  
  
"What is up with these clothes. I mean could they scream creature of the night any louder. All black and dark colors. And these pants look like they have to be plastered on." Spike said throwing the bag of clothes to the top and climbing up the rest of the way.  
  
"It's his look. I mean you have to think rationally now, pet, the guy is a creature of the night." Buffy said.  
  
"Yeah, but he's all chip head-y now. He could at least change his pants to be looser." Spike complained.  
  
"Maybe you could borrow some of Harris's clothes. I'm sure he won't mind too much." Buffy said.  
  
"Right, Xander hates me or at least this Xander does. Am I supposed to just say 'Hey Xander listen I know you hate me, but can I borrow some less skintight pants. These ones are getting uncomfortable. Why wear something that feels like it's going to cut off your circulation."  
  
"Because he doesn't have any circulation."  
  
"Oh right, but still. I really hate this you know that right." Spike said.  
  
"Yeah I caught on to that fact."  
  
"It's just not fair. What did I do? I mean sure I haven't been myself lately, but come on. I don't deserve to be a vampire." Spike said slumping into the chair that was in front of the TV.  
  
"Well that's the thing about higher powers. Think they can just play us like puppets all in the name of good." Buffy said.  
  
"But you're not even good."  
  
Buffy glanced in his direction. After all this time and he still thought she was evil.  
  
"Right of course I'm not good. What was I bloody thinking? Let's go." Buffy said walking towards the exit.  
  
"Hey don't get all made and sarcastic at me. I'm just stating the obvious." Spike said.  
  
Buffy let out a sigh. It was weird to do that out of necessity rather then just because.  
  
"You mean after all this time you still think of me as a soulless evil dead thing." Buffy said.  
  
"Hey you're the one who's always talking about the shadows and all the stuff. The one who's always saying that you're in the dark. Telling everyone that you're the Big Bad so excuse me if I still think so to." Spike said.  
  
"You know I don't even know why I bother. It's clear that you. . . this is precisely why I was going to leave in the first place. You know what I'm tired of arguing. It isn't getting us anywhere. Let's just focus on getting the hell out of this dimension." Buffy said.  
  
"No." Spike said.  
  
"No what?" Buffy said with a confused look on her face.  
  
"No, obviously we're stuck here because we don't argue enough."  
  
"I don't even want to know how that twisted little brain of yours came up with that one."  
  
"Seriously Buffy. We're here to experience what the other goes through on a daily basis. Well Buffy so far all I've seen you go through is eating and feeling worthless. So tell me when does the really hard stuff start. It seems to me that all you do is sit around all day doing absolutely nothing. My life is hard Buffy. My life is complicated and full of badness. Where do you get off whining because I don't think of you as a good guy."  
  
"I'm not. That's why I said let's just drop it. The food's probably already there and if the whelp here eats anything like the whelp in our dimension then there'll be nothing left." Buffy said.  
  
"Yeah right this is all very easy for you right." Spike said.  
  
"As much as it may appear that I'm making the best of this situation I'm not exactly thrilled about being human."  
  
"Why would you be when you just love being a vampire." Spike said snidely.  
  
"Well it's true you know. I don't exactly like being human. Sure there's the benefit of the sun, but that doesn't outweigh all the crummy things you humans have to go through on a regular basis." Buffy said.  
  
"Oh like what?" Spike asked.  
  
"Well for starters it's been over a century since I've had to go to the bathroom and I've already went twice today." Buffy said.  
  
Spike couldn't help but laugh slightly at that.  
  
"Okay now, let's get back so I can see if pizza tastes as good as I imagine it would."  
  
"You really can't taste anything as a vampire?" Spike asked.  
  
"Well sort of. If it's spicy then there's usually some flavor. It's all about texture for a vampire though."  
  
"That why you eat those onion blossoms and spicy chicken wings all the time?" Spike asked.  
  
"That and those onion thingies are amazing."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Whoa, Buffy slow down. That's like your fifth slice. The other Buffy would be upset if you make her all fat." Dawn said.  
  
"She's too skinny anyway. Needs to gain some proper weight. I keep telling that one that, but he just doesn't listen." Buffy said pointing her thumb at Spike.  
  
"And you'd think with all the Twinkies and Ho-Ho's he'd have gained some weight. His room is a literal pigsty." She said biting into the fifth slice of pizza.  
  
"It's not that messy and besides I burn it off in the slaying." Spike said twirling his now cold blood with a spoon.  
  
"Are you going to drink that or just play with it." Xander asked.  
  
"Give me a chance to get over the ick factor will you. It's real life blood here people. Really gross." Spike said.  
  
"You might want to warm it again. It's bound to be cold again by now." Dawn said.  
  
"Dawn you shouldn't know blood tips like that. It's not healthy." Spike said.  
  
"That's like twice in one day. I've been scolded by Spike twice in one day. This is going to be very weird."  
  
"Yes, Dawn we've established that it's going to be weird. Are there any Buffalo wings left?" Anya asked.  
  
"Yeah I think there might be two left." Willow said.  
  
"I call dibs on one." Dawn said.  
  
"And I claim the other one." Anya said picking up the buffalo wing and munching down on it.  
  
Spike got up and put the blood back in the microwave for thirty seconds.  
  
"You know if you keep re-heating it, its going to end up vaporizing it." Buffy said between bites.  
  
"I didn't know that and I didn't want to know that, but thanks for being so thoughtful." Spike said taking the mug out after the loud ding.  
  
"Spike you must be hungry. Just drink the blood already." Tara said.  
  
"Yeah you can slay demons, but you can't drink some blood. It'll taste good you know. You are a vampire." Buffy said.  
  
"Yeah, but its. . . icky." Spike said.  
  
"Dawn's right. It is going to have to take some getting used to listening Spike talk like that. Spike just said icky." Xander said.  
  
"Well, Xan, it is. I don't know of any other word for it." Spike said.  
  
"Would you quit being a baby and just drink it already." Dawn said.  
  
"You'll feel better if you drink it. You're stomach must be howling at how close to your nostrils that blood is. Trust me it won't taste bad. It tastes. . ."  
  
"Coppery." Dawn said talking a drink of her soda.  
  
The group turned their stares away from Spike and his blood problem to the teenager.  
  
"What?" Dawn asked innocently.  
  
"How do you know how blood tastes." Xander asked.  
  
"Spike bet me to drink some one time. Easiest ten dollars I ever made. It tastes like you swallowed a whole bunch of pennies though." Dawn said.  
  
"Okay that's. . . really gross Dawn." Willow said.  
  
"I second that." Xander said.  
  
"And I third it. And I'm supposed to drink something that tastes like pennies. I don't think so. I'd rather starve." Spike said.  
  
"Do we have to force feed you Mister." Tara asked.  
  
"That could be fun. We could all jump on him and make him drink the blood." Anya said.  
  
"No, no that's okay. I think I'll drink it on my own." Spike said.  
  
"Try thinking about it as hot chocolate. That should make it less hard to drink." Dawn offered.  
  
"I don't know. Well here goes nothing." Spike said. He lifted the drink to his mouth.  
  
The group watched as a tiny bead of blood slid it's way down the surface of the mug and into Spike's open waiting mouth. Spike lapped up the blood and actually enjoyed the taste. He quickly took the mug away from his lips and placed it on the counter.  
  
"There see nothing to worry about. Tasted good right." Buffy said.  
  
"It was kind of thick and soppy. Needs more. . . texture." Spike said bringing the mug up to his mouth again for more.  
  
"Oh Spike always liked to mix in some Wheatabix in the blood. Said it gave it some texture." Dawn offered.  
  
"Yeah and he always stole herbs from the Magic Box to give it a spicy taste." Anya said.  
  
"Anya if you know that he's stealing herbs then why do you let him do it." Xander asked.  
  
"Because those herbs don't sell that well anyway. I purposefully get them for him. Figure it's the least I can do." Anya said.  
  
"I knew it. There was always a big supply of that stuff around and it's only good for binding spells. I knew you didn't need to keep it stocked up so much." Buffy said. The group looked at her weirdly.  
  
"Sorry. Remind me to thank Anyanaka when we get back to our dimension." Buffy said to Spike.  
  
"Yeah sure thing. Well I think it's time for you to start getting ready for bed." Spike said to Buffy.  
  
"What I have a bed time?" Buffy asked.  
  
"Well Buff you do have an early shift in the morning." Xander said.  
  
"At what time?" Buffy asked.  
  
"I believe you said it started at about seven. Maybe six-thirty." Willow said.  
  
"You've got to be kidding me?" Buffy said.  
  
"Nope I kid you not. Don't worry. Working for money is great. You'll fit right in as a tool of society." Anya said.  
  
"Oh that's just great." Buffy said.  
  
"Hey you're the one who said you could do it." Spike said smiling smugly something that had been rare on him for awhile even if this was another Spike's body.  
  
"One of these days Slayer. One of these days when you least expect it I'll get you back for this."  
  
"Talk on Miss Big Bad. Me, I think I'll enjoy a good day in front of the TV tomorrow. Have fun at the Doublemeat hell."  
  
A/N: Alright so in the last chapter's A/N I lied. I said that the next two chappies after chapter five would be set in the same dimension, but I got to thinking about it and thought about just how fun Spike's reaction to a day at the Doublemeat Palace would just be so much fun to write. I mean don't you think it'd be better then Buffy's reaction. I really do think so and that is why the next chappy will be set in the other dimension where the regular Buffy and Spike are. Just thought you should know. So if you want that chapter you got to do just one little thing: REVIEW! Yes if you want the next installment then there will have to be reviews. Good day all! 


	7. No I'm Not, Oh Wait Maybe I Am

A/N: Thanks to all my reviewers. Keep it up I LOVE getting feedback.  
  
Chapter 7:  
  
It was pure evil. The purest of all evils. The biggest evil he had ever had the pleasure of meeting. Hand him stupid fledgings and big ass demons any day over this. This was horrific. The odor it produced was enough to knock three grown men to their feet keeled over dead.  
  
The color was just blinding. So orange and yellow like it was meant to flash around shocking people as it went along. The sheer horror it produced was enough to scare even Spike. And that funny looking hat didn't help matters.  
  
Spike looked at the Doublemeat Hell uniform as if it were some offensive demon.  
  
"You really should be getting ready for work." Buffy said watching as Spike looked at the uniform from all angles.  
  
"Yeah I know, just give me a sec." Spike said still studying the uniform.  
  
"Looking at it isn't going to make it disappear." Buffy said with an amused tone in her voice.  
  
She couldn't help, but feel a little gleeful at the thought of Spike having to work instead of her.  
  
"I just hope you don't get this Spike fired from his job. Come to think of it I hope the other Buffy doesn't get me fired from my job." Buffy said.  
  
"I'm glad you find amusement in this, pet, but I don't necessarily think its all that laugh worthy." Spike said picking up the shirt and holding it at arms length to put it under further inspection.  
  
"What's up with the stripes? This pylon thing isn't working for me. You do it." Spike said shoving the uniform into Buffy's hands.  
  
"Would, but a have a slight case of flammability to the sun."  
  
"You're very calm for someone who is recently sort of vamped."  
  
"Well I figure make the best of the situation."  
  
"How? We're stuck in an alternate dimension where things are totally reversed and I have to work." Spike said in a whiney voice.  
  
"Well I don't have to work and aside from the residual feelings I have every thing easy."  
  
"Say that with a little more gusto, pet. Maybe it'll be true." Spike muttered.  
  
"'Kay I have every thing easy. In fact I think it's better then easy. I have vampire powers. How cool is that? Okay so maybe not cool, but I can hear people when they're talking really low like you just did. And don't say your British slang words. They don't sound right without your accent."  
  
"Isn't that just dandy." Spike said spotting the small blue nametag during his inspection.  
  
He held the tag closer to him.  
  
"William?" Spike said questioningly scrunching his nose up in distaste for the name.  
  
"Uh, yeah, it's kind of your real name Spike." Buffy said in the best 'duh' voice she could pull off in the rather hoarse throaty sounding voice she had.  
  
"I know that. Why is it so small? And why is it William. Least it could've been is Will or maybe even Spike. Shoot at this point I'd settle for Jim Bob." Spike said.  
  
"You don't look like a Jim Bob, Spike. Don't think you could pull off Jim Bob. And what are you talking about, small? It's seems normal size to me." Buffy said.  
  
"Must be my eyes then."  
  
"What you need glasses?" Buffy said flippantly.  
  
On Spike's nervous, jittery silence she took that as a yes.  
  
"Oh my God. You need glasses." Buffy said bouncing up and down at the new information.  
  
"Yes okay, when I was human I wore glasses. What of it." Spike said as snidely as he could, but came out with less bark then it should have come out with.  
  
It was like this body just wouldn't allow you to get mad.  
  
"I just think its funny is all. I mean add the glasses with the two tone hair thing you got going on and those clothes on your floor and you fit right in with the classic nerd." Buffy said.  
  
"My clothes aren't nerdy. Maybe the glasses, but they're just reading glasses. Besides you're one to talk. What's with the long brown hair?"  
  
"Oh God, my hair's brown?"  
  
"Uh, yeah haven't you seen it?" Spike asked in a tone he would later stake himself for.  
  
Stupid Southern Californians and their chipper perky accents.  
  
"Kind of hard to do without a reflection. I just assumed it was blonde. This is just great. Does it look horrible?"  
  
"You're asking me. Personally I like the blonde better, but you're not a natural blonde so there you go." Spike said.  
  
"Well I guess we all have flaws. You with your glasses and me with this brown hair. It's time to make the best of this situation. Now get dressed for work. Wouldn't wanna be late and piss off the boss." Buffy said getting ready to leave the room.  
  
"Is this the same Buffy that was all broody and giving my grandsire a run for his money?" Spike asked.  
  
"Yeah, but for the first time in awhile I'm free. It's like when I was invisible, only I can't go out in the sun. I wonder which soap opera I'll watch first." Buffy said bouncing out of the room.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
This can't be happening. Spike thought for the umpteenth time. The Powers that Be picked a perfect day for him to be going to work. He was working the grill. Not being one for grills he had to ask the scary, creepy, smelly guy who talked about grease getting caught in your nostrils for help.  
  
The guy looked at him strangely as if he were the smelly one and then proceeded to show Spike how to work the grill. Then the manager, Lori or something got on his ass for not being there yesterday and told him he was working a double shift, which included him working the counter. Yup, life couldn't get worse.  
  
"Hi I'm William. Welcome to the Doublemeat Palace. What can I do for you today?" Spike said through gritted teeth repeating the little piece he found written on a scratch piece of paper in his locker.  
  
"One Doublemeat Medley please." The man said  
  
"For here or to go?" Spike asked laying on the fake cheeriness.  
  
"To go." the man said.  
  
Spike squinted down at the small buttons that held small icons of food and tiny letters.  
  
"Will, shouldn't you be wearing your glasses when working the register." One of the Doublemeat employees said to Spike.  
  
Spike had already established that he didn't like the guy earlier this morning when he snickered at Spike's grilling ability and took it upon himself to try and teach Spike a more effective way to grill.  
  
"Yeah, but I just can't seem to find them. . . Lennie." Spike said.  
  
"Don't you usually keep them in your locker?" Lennie said with a fake- questioning look.  
  
"Yeah, but it seems I lost them somewhere. It's okay." Spike said looking back down at the buttons and pressing the right one.  
  
"That'll be $2.25." Spike said.  
  
The man handed him three-dollar bills and Spike made the change.  
  
"Your order is number 25." Spike said handing the man a large cup.  
  
"Next customer please." Spike said not looking up from the cash register.  
  
"Hey, man. You don't look so good." Spike looked up to see Xander standing in front of him in his construction worker clothes and hard hat.  
  
"This coming from the village people cast off." Spike said.  
  
"Hey no need to get all snide on me. Merely stating the obvious. So your day's been that hell filled, huh." Xander said.  
  
"I've never worked an honest day in my life. Even before when I was human I was fairly rich. All I had to do was balance the books and stupid shit like that. Always drinking tea, eating crumpets and playing croquet. Never have I ever had to really work. Well unless you count killing, but that's different." Spike said in a somewhat hushed tone.  
  
"Okay that was weird. I keep forgetting that you're not the same Will I grew up with. It's an odd thing to hear you talk about killing people. Vampires and demons, maybe, but people are a whole different thing." Xander said.  
  
"It doesn't sound all that menacing in this voice or this body. What is up with my hair? He can't decide a color so he goes with both. Pick one. Brown or blonde. Choose already." Spike said.  
  
"I think he does that on purpose. Never asked. Personally I stick with not dying my hair at all. Easier that way." Xander said.  
  
"So are you going to order something or not. That Lennie guy has been on my ass and so has my manager. Don't want to get the poor sap fired from his job." Spike said.  
  
"Sure why not. How about you just get me a large drink. Got my lunch packed and everything. Just thought I'd see if you were on a lunch break." Xander said.  
  
"Why?" Spike asked questioningly.  
  
"Because I thought I'd eat with you. The site's right down the street." Xander said slightly confused.  
  
"Again I ask why?" Spike asked.  
  
"Because you're my friend and I thought you'd be lonely eating alone." Xander said as if he were talking to a two-year-old.  
  
"You know I'm not your friend. We aren't friends where I come from so excuse me if I'm a little thrown by this lunch invite." Spike said.  
  
"Right I keep forgetting. You know it's okay if you don't want to have lunch. I just thought I'd tell you that since the wedding's in two weeks and I'm not sure if the Spike that's supposed to be here will be back or not that you know, you'll have to step in." Xander said.  
  
"Wait, step in as what? I thought I was already doing my part being an usher." Spike asked.  
  
"My best man." Xander said.  
  
"I thought Red was your best man?" Spike asked.  
  
"Um, I picked you over her. She's going to be Anya's maid of honor." Xander said.  
  
"Well then Buffy and I'll just have to figure this out before then. That way you're wedding won't be ruined." Spike said.  
  
"Yeah although I think I like a Buffy who's willing to be in the wedding rather then one who isn't." Xander said.  
  
"Buffy's in the wedding too?" Spike asked.  
  
"Yeah to even out the ratio."  
  
"Right of course. Same reason I'm in the wedding back. . . where I come from."  
  
"Well let's just hope you guys can figure it out before two weeks. It would be nice to have my friend back for my wedding." Xander said.  
  
"Okay well I'll work on that." Spike said pressing a few buttons and then handing Xander a cup.  
  
Xander dug in his pocket for some change when Spike said, "It's on the house. Just one drink. Better hurry up and get back to the construction site." Spike said.  
  
"Sure okay. Positive you don't want any company?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm good."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
This wasn't what Buffy had in mind for a restful day at home. After two hours of sitting in front of the TV and two bags of blood later she was bored out of her mind and there was nothing she could do about it. The thought of sneaking into Dawn's room had appealed to her, but then she realized how childish that was.  
  
The thought of checking out what this Spike lived like had too popped into her head but hadn't stayed there that long. He lived like a slob. Total and utter chaos. The room looked like a big tornado hit it. No, it would be too much work to look through that and find out information.  
  
She was feeling worthless without the other Buffy's help. What purpose did she have, but to sit in front of the TV and drink blood all day? There was absolutely nothing for her to do. All these years Buffy had a purpose and now she had nothing.  
  
She didn't have a purpose she had a sofa and a TV playing ridiculous soap operas and the birds that were chirping way too damn loud for anyone's liking. Or maybe that was just the super advanced vampire hearing. Everyone was doing something and she was beginning to feel how crushing being free could actually be.  
  
"This is stupid. There's nothing on TV and I just have to sit here. Maybe Spike was right. Maybe we should really be focusing on how to go back home." Buffy muttered as she changed the TV.  
  
"Buffy where are you?" Buffy turned her head to the door and saw as Willow walked through it.  
  
"Hey, Wills. I'm in the living room." Buffy said.  
  
"Oh." Willow said walking into the living room.  
  
"Thank god you're here." Buffy said.  
  
Willow gave her a weird look then said, "Oh right, different Buffy. So how has your day been."  
  
"Oh just ever so boring. If this is what it means to be a vampire I think I'm going to pull a Dorothy and say 'There's no Place Like Home.'" Buffy said.  
  
"Well technically regular vampires would be out. . . sleeping and later causing mayhem. Because you're all Chips Ahoy you're not out commanding minions." Willow said.  
  
"I guess you're right. I mean I knew that Spike, from my reality, was chipped and all, I just never knew what that meant. And these damn vampire senses are going haywire. I mean I can literally hear the neighbor's two houses away arguing about that mysterious stain of lipstick on his shirt. He's not very good at defending himself." Buffy said.  
  
"Yeah I was kind of wondering when she'd catch on to his cheating. He's been coming in at two in the morning every night for the past month. Anyway, I was thinking about how we can fix this and maybe we could call on a higher power to ask if they know anything about this." Willow said.  
  
"That's a lot of magic isn't it?" Buffy asked.  
  
"Well, it's pretty big, but I think with my help Tara could pull it off."  
  
Buffy nodded. "Don't want you to fall off the wagon just because I need a little magical assistance. So we just call on this higher power and ask it questions?"  
  
"No, it's a little harder then that. It appears that if you call the power you have to have a champion present to fight some big fight. It's risky at best and if you want to not get your head cut off then you have to win." Willow said.  
  
"Okay not that I'm not okay with the head chopping off of my head, but maybe there's a less violent approach." Buffy said.  
  
"I'm still looking through the text. Anya's at the Magic Box helping out too. We should, maybe, be able to come up with something different, but maybe not. If this is our only hope. . ."  
  
"Then we take it I know. It's just where do you go about finding a champion?"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"And that's why our system of checks and balances is so wrong. It's outdated. The government should really put a new system in place." Lennie said as he hovered over Spike's shoulder.  
  
It was only two more hours until he was out of this dump. Part of his mind said he'd go home, take a nice long shower, and fall right to sleep in that nice warm comfortable bed. The other part said he should really go out and kill something before plopping onto that messy bed that belonged to him in this dimension.  
  
"It's like America is totally disregarding everything John Locke wrote about. Not that I'm saying we need an overthrow of government, but someone needs to be looking out for the little guy. Get what I mean?"  
  
Spike looked over and gave him a tense smile.  
  
"And it's not just the fundamentals. It would be easy if it was, but this goes deep. Bureaucrats still exist my friend and politicians love to eat out of there hands. The president tries to pretend that it's all just a big conspiracy, but anyone with eyes could see the difference." Lennie said.  
  
"You're really into this cause thing aren't you." Spike commented.  
  
"Oh is it boring you. I'm sorry it's just ever since I've been taking this economic and government class I've been all Mister Government. You know talking off anyone's ear about the basics of our society and the ever rising of communism. Sorry if it offends you." Lennie said.  
  
A confused look passed over Spike's face. He wasn't sure whether to be outraged by the comment or to brush it off completely. Spike knew more history then the kid could ever know. He was alive during the Industrial revolution and the up rise of communism in Germany. Hell he had even met Mussolini and almost got to meet Hitler.  
  
He was over a hundred and twenty years old. He knew his history. He had majored in History and English when he was in Oxford. Part of him told him to creep down and just forget about it though. That was the part of the Spike from this dimension. Not really secure in his ability to outsmart people. He'd rather just dunk down and hope he wasn't seen.  
  
"Oh it's not that it's just well you're so enthused by government. Of course, I personally, have more of an English thinking stand point." Spike said watching as the boy's face contorted in confusion.  
  
"You're English. I didn't know you came from Britain?" Lennie said thoroughly confused.  
  
"I don't, but I have a. . . friend a few actually that are from Britain. I guess the thinking structure rubbed off on me." Spike said.  
  
"Really so you think there should be a monarch or something?" Lennie said stifling his laughter.  
  
"Oh, no, never was much for the queen. Parliament regulates everything over there anyway. No, I think that the government we have now is a good one." Spike said.  
  
"So what's your stand point then?" Lennie asked.  
  
"I guess I just feel that maybe, if everyone stopped arguing about the wrongs of government and feeling ready to revolt, they could see that what they have now is a pretty good set up. I mean we have all these rights activist, which are all well and good for things like animals and polluted sea water, but for humans after all this time is just ridiculous. I mean, and I've once argued this before, Americans went to America, revolted on British views from Enlightenment thinkers, conquered tons of lands killing thousands of 'Native Americans' to do it, and know you all feel bad on Thanksgiving for all the wrongs done to the 'Native American' race. It's silly. You came in, conquered, won and know you feel really bad about it. The whole system of thinking is ridiculous." Spike said.  
  
"I guess, but what does that have to do with the wrongs in our government?" Lennie asked in that condescending tone he had perfected.  
  
"Well, Americans use the ideas of Enlightenment thinkers and then raise them on a pedestal for all people to live by. You go telling other countries how to run themselves instead of fixing the problems at home. That's the real problem. Fix the internal before the external. If they aren't bothering us don't bother them. So what if they live under a different system then us. We aren't the world dominators. We don't own them. If you want to tell a country how to run themselves then conquer them. Don't sit in the sidelines waving a finger saying 'Do it 'Cause I Said so.'"  
  
"So you're saying you support communism?" Lennie asked.  
  
"The idea behind it was good enough. Crazy people like Hitler and Mussolini took it too far I'll give you that, but if a country wants to live under that rule, fine by me. Not my place to judge them." Spike said.  
  
"So you totally disregard all the things the Enlightenment thinkers came up with?"  
  
"No, they came up with some good ones."  
  
"So you just don't believe in Machiavelli's three branches of government?"  
  
"Montesquieu."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Montesquieu wrote the three branches of government. Machiavelli wrote The Prince."  
  
"Oh yeah well." Lennie said as he stalked off back to his register. Spike smiled a triumphant smile.  
  
Maybe this thing will be fun after all, Spike thought as he put the fries into the crisper.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Well I didn't find anything else out. It seems this gladiator type is our best bet." Anya said.  
  
"Right now anyway. We have plenty of chances to find something else." Willow said off of the sad look on Buffy's face.  
  
"Well it's good that you're researching. That's a good thing." Buffy said twirling a lock of her brown hair.  
  
"Yeah, but if only we had something more to go on. Now don't freak out on me again, but we have absolutely no solid information. I mean just look at your memories. If those are different then any information from your dimension leading up to the switch-a-roo could be different too." Xander said.  
  
"Xander's right. Besides who knows if we're even supposed to interfere. I still think this has to do with just Buffy and Spike going through this thing." Tara said.  
  
"So we just have to wait." Dawn said a little more sullenly then she hoped for.  
  
She sounded downright sad at the idea of not having her brother anymore. Sure this Spike was nice enough, he reminded her of the Buffy that belonged in her dimension, but he wasn't her brother.  
  
It was awkward that now Buffy was acting like her big sister, but it was to be expected considering in her dimension Buffy was her sister. Dawn just hoped that things would eventually go back to normal.  
  
"Sorry Dawnie, but short of us finding a champion and using said champion to fight a war with some really big possibly demonic guy who would probably kick said champion's ass, we've got nothing." Willow said.  
  
"Willow babble back in full force. It's been awhile." Buffy commented.  
  
"Yeah, unde. . . Buffy's got a point. Nice to see some things returning to normal." Xander said.  
  
Willow blushed nervously and dared a glance at Tara. Tara was smiling sweetly back at her.  
  
"So as Willow explained in that really long sentence, we've got nothing, but we have a little something called optimism. We'll keep looking until our eyeballs pop out." Anya said with enthusiasm rarely seen when researching.  
  
"Which might be soon if these books get any boring-er." Xander said.  
  
"Well, we'll just have to pop them right back in." Willow said.  
  
"Yeah shouldn't be too hard. I mean there's like six of us. Seven when Spike finally does get home. Why is he so late tonight." Dawn asked glancing at the time and seeing that it was almost eleven.  
  
"He called bitching about having to work a double shift and if he didn't have the chip in his head then he'd kill his boss. Shouldn't bee back until midnight. You better get to bed Dawn." Buffy said not looking up from her book.  
  
"Yeah I guess. Wait. . . Spike was complaining about his chip. He doesn't have a chip in this dimension." Dawn said.  
  
"It's probably habit Dawn. You know he probably just doesn't want to get this Spike charged with murder and, as force of habit to explain his non- violent tendencies, he used the chip as an excuse." Tara said.  
  
"Makes sense." Xander said.  
  
"Besides you wouldn't want to have a mentally deranged chip free Spike. It's best he doesn't remember that he doesn't have the chip. He might go killing people." Buffy said.  
  
"Or worse he'll start blaming his soul."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Just a few more minutes. Twenty at most. Only twenty minutes and you're out of this hellhole. You can actually go home to that nice warm bed you were thinking about earlier. Just a few more minutes. Spike thought as he helped the last few customers of the night.  
  
The Doublemeat palace stayed open until midnight and the drive-thru was open until two. Spike didn't want to know what kind of people came to the drive-thru at one in the morning.  
  
Mostly, right now, it was college students getting the munchies.  
  
"Can I help the next in line please." Spike said. A tall brunette with blue eyes walked up. She had a big scar over her eye and wore all black. It reminded Spike of some sort of ninja. She was staring at him expectantly.  
  
"Hi, I'm William, welcome to the Doublemeat Palace. What would you like this evening ma'am." Spike said in that fake cheery voice it had only taken him a day to get down. The brunette stared at him oddly.  
  
"Will, it's me. Renee." She said with that same expectant look on her face.  
  
"Um. . . okay Renee. What would you like?" Spike said.  
  
"What is wrong with you? I come back to town and you act as if you don't know me." She said.  
  
"Um. . . are you going to order something? I have customers." Spike said feeling very uncomfortable. He obviously didn't know who she was. She wasn't from his dimension.  
  
"Will, stop acting like that. The Initiative needs your help." She said in a voice barely above a whisper.  
  
"My help? Why do they need my help? And why would I help them?" Spike said forgetting where he was.  
  
"Because you're the Slayer." She said in that same low tone.  
  
"Am the what?"  
  
"The Slayer."  
  
"No I'm. . . oh, that's right."  
  
A/N: Just so you know, the next chapter will definitely be in the regular dimension and Riley bashing will ensue. I was going to just not write "As You Were" but I decided I never give up the chance for a good Riley bashing. So there you have it. This was a fun chapter to write because it showed Spike doing well, while Buffy was feeling the burn of not having a purpose. Sorry if I got the name of the jerky guy who went to night school wrong. I couldn't remember his name. So let's everyone review. You want the next chapter you're going to have to review. 


	8. Let The Suvolte Demon Do All The Work

A/N: So, so, so sorry for the lack in updates. I just sent out a major batch today after all those long months. It's just life got in the way and all that. I mean who knew starting a homepage would be so hard. And I'm not even done with it yet. Oh well, ENJOY the chapter!  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters so far. Eventually there will be some of my own. Wish I had Spike, but that's a whole thing all together.  
  
Distribution: If you actually think that it's good enough to go anywhere, but here, then by all means. Just ask first.  
  
Spoilers: Some for season six's As You Were  
  
Chapter 8:  
  
"Buffy stop messing around. This is really important. A very volatile demon is loose on the Hellmouth. I need the Slayer's help on this one." Riley said looking at the very confused Buffy.  
  
"Okay, one, please refrain from using the demon talk at my place of employment and two, you'll just have to wait until I get off of work and then we'll go meet the Scoobies and sort this all out." Buffy said glancing at her boss who was sending her wary looks.  
  
"I don't have time for you to finish up at this... ... ... job. I need the Slayer now." Riley said.  
  
"The Slayer talk needs to be kept to a minimum. I'm not a blo... ... ... freaking machine here. I do need to finish my job. Besides you don't want me to help you. I'd probably let you get killed just for the heck of it." Buffy said flippantly.  
  
"Buffy, I'm sorry that I left you like that, but can we please just put that behind us and look for the demon." Riley said in an exasperated tone.  
  
"Wanker, really think I care that you left. I'm not even sure who you are, but if you are who I think you are then as me I should be glad that you left." Buffy said snorting.  
  
"Okay, I've been out of Sunnydale too long because I don't remember how to translate Sunnydale-speak and did you call me a wanker?" Riley said. Buffy let out a long sigh.  
  
"Look I have about twenty minutes left on the job. Then we'll go to see the Slayer's minions and then you'll get the Slayer to help you out and I can lie down and sleep." Buffy said.  
  
"Buffy are you okay?" Riley asked.  
  
"No and no amount of Jack D is going to fix that."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"This is beyond boring. This has entered the realm of torture." Xander complained.  
  
"I have to agree, but I also have to say that if we don't keep researching something bad might happen to both Spike and Buffy. Let's just keep going." Willow said.  
  
"Yeah well if things don't pick up soon I'm going to leave. No sense in pulling an all nighter." Anya said.  
  
"I have this intense need to beat up something." Spike said out loud.  
  
Everyone turned to look at him as though he had grown an extra head.  
  
"Well I do. I don't know what it is, but it's centered on one thing. Don't know what that is though." Spike said burying his nose in the book.  
  
"Well you could murder the books if you want to. They don't seem to be helping although I think Giles might not like that." Anya said.  
  
"I'm not sure what it is, but it's pretty strong." Spike said.  
  
"Maybe it's just that vampire instinct kicking in. Just another thing you'll have to get used to." Tara said.  
  
"That's not fair. There's the blood and the bumpy face and the advanced hearing and the totally boring nothing to do all day. Now on top of that I feel like ripping someone to shreds and I don't even know who the hell that someone is. Being a vampire sucks ass." Spike said pouting slightly knowing it probably looked ridiculous. He really wanted his old body back.  
  
"Ladies and gentleman witness the ever popular vampire mood swings."  
  
Everyone turned around to see Buffy and, "Riley!" the group sans Spike yelped out.  
  
"Hey guys." Riley said in a slightly shy voice.  
  
"Who's that guy?" Spike asked.  
  
"Just some guy that needs the Slayer's help. Thought I should bring him here to discuss things with the group and then I'm going to go to bed." Buffy said.  
  
"Oh no you don't. If I have to deal with all this vampire crap you can do a simple demon hunt. Should be easy." Spike said.  
  
"This from the guy that just said and I quote 'Being a Vampire Sucks Ass'. Looks like you don't want to be here as much as I don't want to be here. At least you're finally admitting it." Buffy said.  
  
"Yes, I've learned the error of my ways and am currently reaping what I sow. At least I've been researching for a way to send us back." Spike said.  
  
"Good, because I can't stand it here." Buffy said plopping down in a seat.  
  
"Could someone please fill me in on at what the heck is going on here. Seriously I'd like to know." Riley said.  
  
"It's slightly complicated." Tara said shyly.  
  
"No it really isn't. Riley, that's your name right, well see here's the thing, the thing is, well it's a pretty big thing, but not that big, but large enough for me to start babbling incoherently." Spike said brows furrowing in confusion over the right words to say.  
  
"What, Spikey is trying to say is that we aren't the Buffy and Spike you know. We're different people from a different dimension and have no idea who you are." Buffy said.  
  
"Wow, is this true?" Riley asked the rest of the group.  
  
"Yep, very true. They come from a dimension where Spike is the Slayer and Buffy is the vampire and they switched with the Spike and Buffy we know." Xander said.  
  
"And all of us are here to research for a way to send them back." Anya said.  
  
"Well then maybe I shouldn't be here. I mean you've already got enough on your plate as it is." Riley said.  
  
Riley made a motion to leave, but before the non-existent little angel on Spike's shoulder could voice it's opinion Spike stood in front of Riley blocking him from leaving.  
  
"You don't have to go. Obviously you wee friends with the group and it would be a shame to turn away a friend in a time of need." Spike said in an ultra-sweet voice that no one was prepared for.  
  
"Spike what the hell are you doing?" Riley asked with a hint of annoyance and disgust that almost sent Spike into another touchy feely moment.  
  
"Nothing I'm just saying that if you need the Slayer's help then what kind of person would the Slayer be to turn you away like that." Spike said in a no nonsense voice that dared anyone to argue with the logic.  
  
"A person that wants to sleep. If you're so gung ho to help out then you go out. I'm. Tired." Buffy said rubbing her feet a little.  
  
"Nonsense. A Slayer never gets tired. A Slayer stands up and fights the good fight." Spike said.  
  
"You keep putting it that way and I may have to stake you." Buffy said.  
  
"Well, like Tara said the only way to get out of this is to experience what the other is feeling. I do that kind of thing on a daily basis. It's the only sure fire method any of us know." Spike said.  
  
Buffy glared at him with all the furry she could muster trying to mentally smack that smirk off of Spike's face and when did he get so good at that?  
  
"He's right Buffy. We've concluded that that is what's going on here." Willow said in a hushed voice not wanting to incur the wrath of Buffy that was currently brewing in the small blonde Slayer's head.  
  
She growled, really growled, at Spike and then let out a frustrated sigh.  
  
"One day, when you least expected it, I'm gonna get you for this Slayer." Buffy said in the lowest tone her voice would go.  
  
It didn't really convey much of a threat considering the voice was made for a preppy Southern California girl.  
  
"Empty threats. You can't kill me. If you do we may never get back to our dimension. I don't think you wanna stay in that body although I gotta say even with the blinding pylon colors it is an improvement from the black Goth look you had going on." Spike said.  
  
"You're not really one to talk. Look in a mirror lately. Oh that's right you can't cause you're a vampire." Buffy said.  
  
"Anybody else find this conversation very disturbing." Xander asked.  
  
"I think I speak for everyone when I say yeah." Riley said.  
  
"Good just checking." Xander said.  
  
"Buffy why don't you go with Riley. I mean Spike is right on this instance. Maybe experiencing what the other goes through will get you home sooner." Willow said.  
  
"But I'm tired. I just worked a double shift at a place that smells worse then a Fyral demon and I'm tired." Buffy said.  
  
"Well I'm always tired and I still slay. Just a part of the job." Spike said with a slight air of superiority.  
  
"Yeah as if you can call what you do slaying. More like..." Spike whapped Buffy in the head before she could finish her sentence giving her a glare as he did so.  
  
"OW!" Buffy said giving Spike a meaningful look.  
  
It took two seconds before Spike caught on and followed up with, "Ow, that hurts. Stupid chip." Spike said not really feeling any pain, but trying his best to act like he did.  
  
"That'll teach you not to hit people." Anya said.  
  
"I forgot about the chip." Spike said.  
  
"Serves you right." Buffy said.  
  
"This coming from a hundred and something year-old vampire." Spike said.  
  
"I don't know if I can take much more of this. Look if you aren't going to help me with the Suvolte demon then I have to go because it's out there attack innocent people." Riley said.  
  
"Oh you can't handle a Suvolte demon by yourself. Those things are dangerous. I don't even know if I can handle that kind of demon. Even with my Slayer strength I might be powerless against it. I think Spike should go with us." Buffy said turning to Spike with an evil grin on her face.  
  
"You're joking right. That's not my job. Not the Slayer... ... ... well anymore considering I'm in this body." Spike said.  
  
"Well you're looking for redemption and being curled up in the house all day can't be good. You're probably going crazy just looking for something to kill." Buffy said.  
  
"Yeah you if you don't shut up."  
  
"Empty threats." Buffy said resisting the urge to stick her tongue out at him.  
  
"She's right to Spike. If you're feeling the urge to kill something you should do it. Remember it's about going through what the other is going through." Tara said.  
  
"Tara, I know you mean well, but as a trained professional I'm not allowed to team up with vampires." Riley said.  
  
"Well then I can't go, because in a technical sense I'm a vampire." Buffy said sitting down in the nearest chair.  
  
"And I'm a vampire in the literal sense." Spike said sitting down.  
  
"You're going! That's finally! You'll do the being in the other's shoes thing and help Riley fight this demon! I don't want to hear anymore complaints. The rest of us will be here researching a way to send you back home." Willow said resolve face firmly intact and voice daring anyone to argue.  
  
"Yeah, okay let's get weapons." Buffy said.  
  
"Right behind you."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The three people walked in silence with the occasional stare. Spike, despite his earlier protests, was practically bouncing on the balls of his feet in anticipation for a fight.  
  
"Could you quit that? It's distracting." Buffy hissed to him.  
  
"I can't. I'm all juiced up to fight. I didn't even realize that I wanted to fight this much. Is this what it always feels like. Are you always this jumpy?" Spike asked.  
  
"Most of the time. Usually more to do some damage to some unsuspecting innocent person, but you know the chip. And speaking of the chip, it has to go off whenever you hit me you do know that right?" Buffy said.  
  
"Yeah I forgot. Clutch my head in pain whenever I hit something human." Spike said.  
  
"And try not to hit me at all." Buffy said.  
  
"Well I wouldn't have to if you weren't about to tell them... ... ... things that you shouldn't tell them." Spike said.  
  
"Sorry, but I had to prove a point. You don't really slay as much as you," Buffy cut off her sentence when she saw Spike's hand raised in the air.  
  
"Sorry I won't say anything. You already know what I mean." Buffy said.  
  
"Will you two be quiet? I think I've tracked it. It should be over there somewhere." Riley said pointing to the woods.  
  
"Of course you're a big demon lets hide out in the woods. Is there any special way to kill it that I should know about?" Spike asked.  
  
"Big, blunt, objects should do the trick. Maybe some shiny, sharp, ones too." Buffy said.  
  
"We aren't here to kill it." Riley said.  
  
"WHAT!" Buffy and Spike said at the same time in a shocked almost outraged tone of voice.  
  
"It laid eggs. We have to find those then we can kill it. If those eggs hatch we're going to have one hell of a problem. The multiple faster then bunnies." Riley said.  
  
"So the plan is to risk our necks putting a tracking device on the momma bear and then tracking it to it's nest to kill it's babies and then possibly get said necks broke. I think I'll pass and just kill it now." Buffy said.  
  
"Yeah I mean it's not like we can't go to Willy's for information as to where this nest is. Let's just kill it." Spike said.  
  
"It's faster to just put the tracking device on the Suvolte that we find and follow it to the eggs." Riley said with irritation clearly in his voice.  
  
"Faster innit always better." Buffy said. It was hard to tell whether it was an innuendo or not.  
  
"Look this is the way we're going to do it. Can I count on you two to back me up?" Riley asked.  
  
A minute or two passed where Buffy and Spike just looked back and forth at each other. Riley wasn't sure what was going on so he stood there, his hip jutted out just a little and his arms across his chest with his foot tapping a little. He was radiating a wave of impatience, but Buffy and Spike didn't really care. He was a stranger to them both.  
  
"Sure, but I get to say I told you so if you get your neck broken." Buffy said walking into the woods.  
  
"I don't remember her being like this." Riley said suddenly realizing how stupid that statement was.  
  
"Well, duh, we're from an alternate dimension." Spike said walking behind her.  
  
"I really don't know how much more of this I can take." Riley said.  
  
"Oh cheer up. How bad can seeing your ex-girlfriend be?" Riley turned around to see a tall woman with dark brown hair and a slight Eastern European accent standing behind.  
  
"Very hard, Sam. Turns out it's not my ex-girlfriend. It's a different person from a different dimension with the same name as her." Riley said.  
  
"Riley was that English?" Sam asked.  
  
"Apparently yes it was English. Let's go before Spike starts hacking up everything in sight."  
  
Riley said pulling Sam along with him. They entered the woods to find Spike with his hands over his ears and Buffy sniffing around.  
  
"What are you two doing?" Riley asked.  
  
"It's very loud." Spike said.  
  
"Who's that?" Buffy said pointing to Sam.  
  
"Oh, well, Buffy this is Sam. Sam this is Buffy." Riley said.  
  
"Nice to meet you Buffy." Sam said sticking out her hand politely to have Buffy shake it. Buffy stared at her weirdly before accepting the handshake.  
  
"Okay so that answers what her name is, but who is she?" Buffy asked again.  
  
"Well, Buffy Sam's sort of my wife." Riley said fidgeting nervously. Buffy stared at him for a second before bursting out in hysterical laughter.  
  
"You know what that means right?" She yelled to Spike who was standing behind her.  
  
"Yes, I know what that means." Spike said snidely.  
  
"That's too funny." Buffy said between bursts of laughter.  
  
"Shut up." Spike growled at her.  
  
"I know I should, but... ... ... whoa." Buffy said as she fell backwards.  
  
Spike caught her.  
  
"What's wrong now?" Spike asked.  
  
"Strange suffocating feeling. Not, heartbreak, but I don't know something different." Buffy said.  
  
"You think you can stand?" Spike asked.  
  
"Yeah just give me a sec." Buffy said.  
  
"Buffy, we don't have a second. Suvolte demons at twelve o'clock." Riley screamed.  
  
"What's twelve o'clock?" Spike asked.  
  
"That means they're right behind us." Buffy replied.  
  
"I thought so." Spike said lifting Buffy to her feet and turning around.  
  
There, standing in front of them in all their ugly glory, were two of the ugliest looking demons Spike and Buffy had ever seen or faced. They were purple and looked remarkably like some alien they'd seen in some movie. Drool, or possibly saliva was coming out of what appeared to be their mouths.  
  
"Oh this doesn't look good." Buffy said.  
  
"No, not good at all. Still dizzy?" Spike asked.  
  
"Um, if I say yeah will yeah hold me again." Buffy said.  
  
"Not now." Spike said.  
  
"I can fight." Buffy said as she straightened herself up before almost falling again.  
  
"Maybe I should sit this one out." Buffy said heading for a good place to sit.  
  
"I guess it's just you and me then, Spike." Riley said throwing himself into battle.  
  
"Well, when you put it like that." Spike said throwing himself into the scrimmage as well.  
  
Fists flew in the air and landed with easy on the big ugly demons. Kicks landed on their targets and Spike and Riley fought the demons. Riley tried his hardest to put a tracking device on one of them while Spike fought of the other.  
  
Sam went to sit next to Buffy making sure that Buffy was okay and totally ignoring the heated glares Buffy was throwing her way. She was too caught up in watching the fight to really care how mad Buffy was at her.  
  
The fighting seemed to go on for hours when in reality it was only a few minutes before Spike said, "Oh for crying out loud. This isn't going to work."  
  
Spike ran over to where Riley was failing at keeping the Suvolte off of him for longer then five seconds. Spike grabbed the demon from behind and snapped its neck.  
  
"Spike! We want theses things alive." Riley yelled.  
  
"Yeah, well it wanted you dead." Spike yelled back.  
  
"Go hold off that one while I see if this one is the female or not." Riley said.  
  
Spike listened and went back over to where the demon was howling in pain over the death of its mate. More punches were thrown before Spike got it in what looked like the chocker hold.  
  
"Hurry it up over there!" Spike yelled at Riley as the demon tried to wiggle free from Spike's grasp.  
  
Riley sliced open the demons stomach to reveal that it was the female and definitely not carrying any eggs.  
  
"Damn it! This is the female and she doesn't have any eggs. Shit! This is all your fault Spike." Riley screamed and began ranting.  
  
Spike was barely listening as he fought to keep a hold of the demon in his arms. He was sorry that he had killed the demon, he really was, but Riley didn't have to be such an ass about it. Spike was sure that a talk with Willy would straighten out where the missing eggs were in a jiffy.  
  
Then a truly evil though and possibly feeling washed over Spike. //Let go of the demon. Let it rip and tear through that asshole's flesh. Let it kill him. You don't like him anyway. He's part of the Initiative. The guys who put the chip in you head. Just let go of the demon.//  
  
Spike fought to keep holding it, but the vengeance that was seeping through him made him let go of it and just stand there and watch as it ran towards Riley with the purpose of killing the other man. Spike felt the evil smirk curling on his face and tried hard to fight it, but the feeling that he was gaining vengeance on the man was too great and he just had to smirk.  
  
"Spike, help him!" Buffy screamed as she watched the demon rip and tear at Riley.  
  
Riley was screaming in excruciating pain at that point and he couldn't do anything to throw the demon off of him. Sam ran over to where the demon and Riley lay on the ground only to be thrown like a sack of potatoes against a tree.  
  
"Crap." Buffy muttered as she got up and charged at the demon.  
  
There was a slight fight before Buffy used the sword she brought along and stabbed the demon till the sword was coming out of the other side and puncturing the ground. Buffy yanked the sword out and ran over to Riley.  
  
"Are you okay?" She asked. Riley didn't answer her.  
  
He seemed to have passed out from pain and he was bleeding everywhere.  
  
"Oh god, Riley!" Sam screamed running over to her husband and clutching him close to her. Buffy walked backwards and made her way to Spike. He was standing there with game face on and snarling like a maniac.  
  
"Spike, are you okay?" Buffy asked.  
  
Spike turned his head to look at her and an evil smile lit up his face. It was something, that if Buffy hadn't been Elizabeth the Bloody, would have made her quiver in fear.  
  
"Does it matter if he's okay? Look at Riley. He's bleeding and he could be dead." Sam yelled.  
  
"It wasn't him. Something possessed him to make him do this. The Spike I know would never do that. He just has to calm down." Buffy said petting Spike's arm lightly.  
  
"He's a vampire, Buffy. Vampires aren't nice or friendly they're evil. They're evil." Sam yelled her voice quivering slightly.  
  
Buffy decided it would be best to just ignore her.  
  
"Spike, come on Spike you have to stop this." Buffy said.  
  
Suddenly Spike was looking at her with guileless and worried eyes. The scent of bloody hit him hard.  
  
"Oh god what happened?" Spike asked.  
  
"You let Riley get mauled by a demon that's what happened!" Sam yelled.  
  
"I what... ... ... no I would never do that. I wouldn't let someone die." Spike said with a frantic tone in his voice.  
  
"Spike, it's okay. What feelings were you get at the time?" Buffy asked.  
  
"I was feeling this strong feeling of trying to get revenge. I... ... ... I don't know why. I just was. Then all of a sudden I didn't have a hold of the demon anymore and... ... ... then I was standing here growling and you were yelling at me." Spike said. Buffy looked at Spike's eyes and knew that he was telling the truth.  
  
"Oh God, he's not breathing. Buffy Riley's not breathing." Sam yelled. Buffy turned to see Sam holding Riley close.  
  
"I can hear his heart. The beating's very slow." Spike said staring off into space.  
  
"Spike I need you strong right now. I don't know what to do. I'm not good with taking care of humans." Buffy said.  
  
"I... ... ... I ... ... ... I can't be here." Spike said wiggling out of Buffy's grasp and running farther into the woods.  
  
"Spike! Get back here! I can't do this alone!" Buffy yelled hoping that Spike would come back.  
  
"Buffy, we have to get Riley to a hospital." Sam said. Buffy was still staring at the path that Spike had taken when something clicked in her head and shook her out of her thoughts.  
  
"Do you have a car?" Buffy asked.  
  
"Yeah I do." Sam said.  
  
"Okay let's get him in the car. I'll drive." Buffy said helping Sam pick up Riley.  
  
They began to carry him off to the car. Buffy gave one last look to the path before walking off with Riley and Sam. She knew that Spike was physically strong, but his emotional state was shot at that moment. She just hoped that he didn't encounter any demons in his little run through the woods.  
  
Or humans for that matter.  
  
A/N: You knew this was going to happen. You knew I wanted to have Riley die/tortured/ or at least maimed a little. It was just too good of an opportunity to pass up. Hope everyone enjoyed it. I really lie right gory/fight stuff. Does that make me insane? Oh who cares as long as I write stuff like that right? Anyway just send me a review if you want the next chapter. Should be a dozy. 


	9. Suvolte Egg Hunt With Hammers

A/N: Gasp, can it be… an update! After almost five months. Yes I'm so very aware how long I've been neglecting this story. I have no explanation for it… or at least not one that people would buy. I just hope I didn't lose any readers because of how long I took. ENJOY! 

Distribution: Go ahead and spread it around if you think it's good. Just tell me where my baby's going first. 

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. 

Spoilers: None 

Summary: Okay I realize how long it's been and someone once told me it would be a good idea to summarize events that have taken place on the last update because of how long it's been. This story is about Spike and Buffy switching places with a Spike and Buffy switching bodies/essences with another Buffy and Spike who are in another dimension where Spike's the Slayer and Buffy's the Vampire. 

Okay well when we last checked in with Spike and Buffy, Riley had blown into town looking for the slayer to help him kill the Suvolte demon. Vampire Buffy in Slayer Buffy's body was forced to go and Slayer Spike in Vampire Spike's body was forced to go as well. They tracked the demon down and there were two of them. Spike killed one because Buffy was otherwise incapacitated with the feelings she was getting over Riley being married. Riley yelled at Spike and Spike let the Suvolte demon attack Riley. After Spike was shocked out of his emotions from the Vampire Spike he fled and Vampire Buffy in Slayer Buffy's body had to help Sam take Riley to the hospital. 

This takes place in the same dimension as Chapter Eight. 

**Chapter 9:**

Buffy sat in a hospital. Elizabeth the Bloody was sitting in a hospital waiting room without tearing something to shreds. This day couldn't get any weirder. It couldn't get any weirder if a bunch of bunnies came running through like a chorus line and merrily did the can-can right before Buffy's eyes. Of course bunnies would freak the hell out of Anya, but Buffy wouldn't put it passed the Fates for it to happen. It was all just flying by in some surreal way like Buffy was watching it on a television show. 

Part of Buffy, the part that wasn't controlled by the feelings of the Slayer Buffy, was telling her to go out and search for Spike. To make sure that Spike was okay because damnit if she was going to let anything happen to him. The feelings of heartache she had felt at the news that the Riley guy was married had left and now she could care less about what happened to him. He was in the way and it didn't really matter because he'd be leaving soon. So, no, she couldn't muster up too many comforting words to the sobbing Sam. Her mind wasn't really into 'saving' Riley either. 

Buffy hadn't lied when she said she had no idea how to take care of humans or anything like that. She'd been a wreck and just listened to what Sam's suggestions were. Buffy had rarely gone to the hospital with the Scooby Gang seeing as they liked to keep things under wraps and usually batched themselves up after fights. Buffy could do that. She could slap on a bandage and stitch wounds, but she had no clue as to what to do when you were in a hospital or how to act. She came off as standoffish in general and when you threw in the death of some human she had never met before, you could bet that she was even colder. 

Sam had snapped at her for calling the nurse a 'stupid chit' and that was the lasting thing Buffy had said to her or the hospital staff. Buffy had called the Scoobies thinking that they'd want to know and possibly to ask for help in killing the Suvolte demon eggs. Buffy knew they needed to die. She wasn't stupid. Suvolte could be trained to bend to someone's will in an instant. They were stupid only in it to kill and hunt and feed and basically better themselves in brutish ways. They were like Fyral demons in that aspect. Big, brutish, ugly, and easily manipulated. If someone we're to get their hands on the eggs then that would be a whole new realm of bad. 

Buffy was also aware that just by thinking this she was taking a huge step into the side of good. Before Spike had come back from the dead, she had been trying her hardest to… 'atone' for lack of a better word. She felt that she had failed Spike by letting him die and had to right that. But with him back and in her bosom, literally on frequent occasions, she didn't have to do the white hat thing. She could and had been before this alternate reality thing, try to turn Spike into the liking the dark side. She just knew that the Suvolte would cause her and the people she… cared about unwanted problems. So it was better to hack and slash until every last egg had been taken down. 

But instead of being out and on the hunt she was sitting in the Sunnydale hospital waiting room watching as the Scoobies comforted themselves and Sam. Never before had she felt so out of place. Even when they were at the Scooby meetings and people were shooting down her ideas. 

"Um… guys, I… uh… I think that maybe I should go out. Search for the eggs and what not. I'm not really needed here." Buffy said. 

"Don't you want to know how Riley is? I mean I know he left you, but… I thought you'd care a little." Sam said and Buffy couldn't find any easy way to say that she didn't give a shit what happened to Riley. 

"I… um…" 

"Buffy really takes this stuff seriously. We should let her go and kill these things. Besides you don't want Riley's sacrifice to be for nothing." Willow said to try and placate Sam 

"Riley wouldn't even be in this mess if it hadn't been for that… vampire." 

"Hey you're gonna back off just a bit there. Who knows what would have happened if we hadn't brought Spike. We were out numbered and there was no way we could have taken those demons without help. We could be in the morgue right now instead of just the hospital." Buffy said angrily. 

"No we would have been able to put the tracker on the momma demon and we'd be out hacking at the eggs." Sam said. 

"God you Initiative people are all the same. Demon fighting can't be solved with science. It's all about blood and violence and the fight. Not trackers and new gadgets. Jeez I don't even know why I bother. I'm going to go to The Alibi Room a bit. See if he knows anything maybe get into a game and find something out that way. I'll see you all later." Buffy said walking out of the hospital.

* * *

"Can I get a whiskey?" Buffy said to the bartender. 

Willy hadn't been around for awhile. After the Initiative came in and was fighting demons he had decided to back up and start fresh in New York. The new bartender was less keen on giving up demons and harder to break. 

"What are you doing here Slayer? You know you aren't exactly welcome here." The bartender said. 

"Yeah, yeah I know and whatever with that. I'm looking for some information, but after the day I had I'd settle for a nice cup of whiskey." Buffy said. 

"This isn't Willy's place anymore. I don't rat out demons. Those fuckers are getting scary." The bartender said while he poured a glass of whiskey. 

"Spike come in here?" Buffy asked. 

"As a matter of fact he did. Drank a few glasses and then demanded to know if anyone had information on the new Suvoltes that's came to town. Beat the shit out of a few demons before he got his answers and then left." The bartender said. 

"Shit, how long ago was this?" 

"About twenty minutes ago. Guy looked pretty wrecked." "I don't suppose you know where the Suvolte nest is." 

"If I did I wouldn't tell you." Buffy let out a frustrated sigh and jumped up from her seat. She grabbed the shirt collar of the bartender and pulled him over the counter. 

"Okay now Spikey may have a chip in his head, but I don't. I'm the slayer in this town and if I have to kill ever last thing in this room to find out where that fucking nest is I'll do it because I'm having a **REALLY BAD DAY!**." Buffy said slamming the bartenders face into the counter. 

"Now I'm going to ask again. Do you know where the Suvolte nest is?" 

The bartender sputtered and spit out his blood. He tentatively felt his teeth and realized Buffy had knocked one of them out completely. 

"Jesus Fucking Christ! You didn't have to knock out one of my teeth." The bartender yelled. 

"Well I was clearly not getting my point across. Now I'm not going to ask again. Tell me now or something more permanent and important gets lost." Buffy said in a menacing growl. Part of her, undoubtedly the part that was having the Slayer Buffy's feelings was upset by this behavior, but Vampire Buffy was loving it. It had been so long since Elizabeth the bloody had been able to wreak some havoc. 

"Alright, Alright. They're in a cave somewhere. I'm not sure which one. I don't exactly speak Suvolte. Anyway some demons spotted the Suvoltes coming out of some caves." 

"The ones the Initiative used?" 

"No, I don't think so anyway. Suvolte, well the breed like bunnies. They're also prone to going out in public. They don't really give a damn about people." The bartender said. 

"And I'm guessing they don't like to share game strategies. So point me in the direction of the demons that saw the Suvoltes." Buffy said. 

"Oh I would but your boy Spike already took care of them. Took them with him." 

"Fuck. You got anything else." 

"Nope I'm all out of information. Just know they were somewhere in the caves." 

"All right." Buffy said letting go of the bartender's collar. That was all she was going to get out of him and if she wanted any chance of making it to whatever caves the Suvoltes had been held up in before Spike got himself into major trouble she would have to stop with the not so nice pleasantries.

* * *

Spike wiped the goo of his forehead. There were at least two dozen eggs and they were all hard and damn near impenetrable. Spike had learned that the hard way when he had gone to smash one with his foot and had almost broken his ankle. He was glad that he had thought to bring some sort of weapon although he hadn't had one when he had left the forest earlier that night. The night was just going really terrible and if he admitted it to himself the whole day had been pretty sucky. 

Spike took his axe and swung it down with all his might on another egg. He still had four more to go. Spike hadn't intended on anyone getting hurt tonight. It was supposed to be a simple kill job, but then that Riley guy tells them that they have to put a tracker on the demon to find the eggs. Didn't hide his disgust for Spike either and Spike was feeling a little ill at ease around the man. It didn't mean he wanted him to get viciously mauled by a dangerous demon. 

To be honest Spike wasn't sure what had happened. One minute he was holding the Suvolte demon and the next Buffy was yelling at him to snap out of it. He knew he had gone into game face and had been growling. It was so hard for him to remember the exact events that had taken place after he had heard that voice whispering in his head. He wasn't even sure it was a voice. More like a… feeling. 

"Fucking piece of shit! And she wonders why I can never love her!" Spike yelled as he hacked the egg that he had just smashed. 

The feelings had obviously registered from the Vampire Spike who had probably hated Riley with a vengeance if Buffy's attitude towards Rene was anything to judge by. The Suvolte demon was just convenient. It was all starting to register to Spike now. The feelings of hate and violence he had be feeling earlier before Buffy had arrived with the Riley guy. The Vampire Spike must have felt his presence already. 

_God everything was just so screwy!_ Spike thought as he smashed another egg to bits. 

Spike had felt so devastated after realizing what he had done. He couldn't stay there and face Riley and his wife Sam. He had already seen the contempt in Sam's eyes and he couldn't deal with getting all emotional. He had to get away from them so he ran. He ran into the woods and just started screaming at the top of his lungs. It had been different to hear his voice which was usually less deep and raspy. 

It was easy for him to slip into that weird cockney drawl that was so unfamiliar to him. He screamed and raged and stomped and kicked a tree before he composed himself and walked over to The Alibi Room to gather information. He wasn't exactly a popular person among the demon types, but he managed to find someone with answers. He made the two demons show him where they had seen the Suvolte demons and in fear they lead him to the right lair. 

He had planned to kill them. A demon was a demon was a demon… or well usually. Spike knew some demons weren't bad. He had met Clem at his party and he knew there were others out there like Clem. These demons were big though. Big and scaly and green and although they quivered in fear because of Spike's close proximity, Spike couldn't be sure that they weren't entirely evil. 

They were holding each other though when Spike had turned to glance at them. They really looked very scared and Spike didn't have the heart to kill them. He asked them what kind of demons they were considering they obviously understood English. They said they were non-violent obviously knowing what Spike had been getting at. He had nodded at them and told them to run off before he changed his mind and they had scurried off like bugs. 

Now Spike was alone thrashing the Suvolte eggs and feeling really awful and some how not seeing away to fix things. 

"Stupid fucking… why can't I just go home? I want to go home. I want to go home **RIGHT THE FUCK NOW!**." Spike screamed as he smashed another egg. 

"Whoa, I don't ever think I've heard words like that uttered from _your_ mouth before. Spike whirled around to see Buffy standing there just a little ways behind him. She was still wearing her Doublemeat Palace uniform and had a black jacket over that. 

"Oh just fuck off. Can't you see I'm having a moment here?" Spike said. 

"Um… yeah those eggs are looking a little trashed. Why don't you just break all of them already? You've got like two left." Buffy said. 

"Well I was thinking all right. It's been a rough night if you didn't notice. I got someone mauled." Spike said bringing his axe down on one of the remaining eggs. 

"You didn't get someone mauled. You had no choice in the matter." Buffy said. 

"Yes, yes I did! I could have stopped myself, but I wanted it. I wanted him dead." Spike said as he continued to smash up what was left of the egg he had been working on. 

"You didn't want him dead. The other Spike wanted him dead… for good reason of course. Shit if I could get my hands on one of them Initiative wankers I would have done the same thing." 

"But I'm the Slayer. I'm supposed to… you know protect the innocent. Not get them mauled." Spike said looking at the last egg. He really didn't want to smash it just yet. The eggs were giving him an excuse to stay away. If he smashed them then he had to go back and face all those disappointed faces. 

"They won't even care will they? They'll just chalk it up to my demon ways and right it off… okay not exactly right it off but they'll be like… they won't be shocked." Spike said. 

"I'm guessing not. I mean I fuck up all the time and they just say oh that's Buffy for you. Eternal fuck up. Course there's always the looks of disgust, but… you get used to them after awhile." Buffy said. 

"So what lesson is this supposed to have taught me? That I'm an evil monster and shouldn't be trusted?" Spike said. 

"Spike… I heard what he said. About how you screwed everything up. You didn't screw it up. Hell you saved that bastards life… you know right up until you put it in danger. You got angry because he was judging you and looking down on you. Can't believe you didn't process that. I thought you were smart." Buffy said somewhat jokingly. "Hey I am smart I just didn't… get it right away. So that's how you feel. Like everything you do isn't good enough." Spike said. 

"Not everything. I mean I'm good at some things. It's not an everyday occurrence, but…" Buffy began to trail off. She wasn't exactly sure how to continue. 

"But what?" Spike asked stepping closer to her wondering if it was a bad idea, but then pushing down the thought. They were supposed to learn from each other about something and pushing each other away and revealing only half truths wouldn't help. 

"I guess it's just hard. You know trying to make up for everything I did and you know I don't know that I'm doing it right. Probably fucking it all up, but I am trying and no one… no one really sees that. You don't really see that." Buffy said looking up at Spike with wide eyes. He was so close and he wasn't warm like he used to be, but he's mere presence warmed her. 

"I do sometimes. I mean I know you're trying. I'm just… I haven't been in a good place in my life. I mean I know you… try, but…" Spike was at a loss for words. He wasn't sure he could explain his behavior. 

"Well I don't know what that's like. And I don't know what it feels like, but I guess that's why we're here isn't it. To figure out what the heck is going on with the both of us. Guess we need help answering that question." Buffy said. 

"I guess. I just wish I could be sure. Sure that any of this even really means anything." Spike said. 

"I'm sure it does. Whoever did this wouldn't have done it without a reason… even if it is evil." Buffy said. 

"Uh… this all so frustrating. I just want to go home." Spike said. 

"I know so do I." Buffy said then she thought about home. Where was her home? She was getting ready to pack up and leave Sunnydale… for good this time none of that come back after a year. Everything was packed and ready and she was going to leave, what was it yesterday night. God they'd only been in this dimension two days and already it was screwing with their minds. 

"I just want to go back to where I'm the Slayer and things make sense… well the weird kind of sense my life makes. I lied. I don't like it here. It's not easy being a vampire with all this bloodlust. How do you deal with it?" Spike said. 

"Well, I'm old. It's easier as you get older. Can live off one good feeding for almost three days. Certainly can live of the same body for a week if you don't drain too much right away. I guess, when you're young like technically you are, it's harder to control. That and the restraint you have to show is unnatural. Really, really unnatural." Buffy said. 

"Is this what it was like? When you first got the chip. I mean you did look pretty terrible, but I wasn't really paying attention." Spike said. 

"Yeah pretty much. Hit me full force and I wasn't ready for it. In time… I adjusted." Buffy said. "I don't… well I don't know… you're… the fight we had before you left. Are you still leaving?" Spike asked. 

"Nothing's keeping me in Sunnyhell. I thought… well I had hoped I could make like the dark side of life, but… you're not… well you're not willing to go there and I think by doing it I'm making you… less you. less like the person I fell in love with. This… freak show as you once called it… you can never love me Spike and I think it's time I find someone who could." Buffy said. 

"Yeah, you're right. I can never love you. It's not that you're a bad… person it's just…" 

"If you say I don't really love you then you're wrong. Damn it I can't take this anymore. This is exactly why I'm leaving. You think I can't love, but I do and you know what if you can't except that then I better off gone." Buffy said angrily. 

"Yeah you are. What you think this is easy for me. I don't love you and I don't think I can, but whatever you feel for me. It's not real. It can never be real. As long as you're here though I'm going to let myself fall back on you and I can't keep doing that so you should just go." Spike said as he smashed the last egg and walked out of the cave. 

"Fuck." Buffy muttered. That was not what she had expected. 

She wasn't sure what she had expected. Spike was certainly the same even though they were in a whole other dimension. He was still lost in his self-righteousness and too clouded with black and white to see straight. Buffy wasn't even sure what made her love him. She had just woken up one day and realized it… literally. She would do anything for Spike, but he just couldn't see that she loved him. It would probably break everything he held dear if he did see. 

Buffy knew about the bullshit the Watcher's spewed to make slaying vampires less like killing people. It was true for the most part. Minions were definitely nothing but killers, but they did retain some emotional feelings. Vampires hated that though. The feelings of love and caring for anyone at all were just wrong. Back in the old days it had been even worse although a lot of the time Sire/Childe and the occasional mate relationships were considered something sacred and were made up of those feelings. 

Nowadays the vamps were pretty much cold hearted, but it didn't mean vampires didn't have feelings. A vampires first kill was more often then not their families and that was because that's were the feelings of love and devotion and attachment lie. Vampires were generally carefree in their own circles and didn't like ties to their human worlds. 

It didn't mean they didn't feel. In order to reject feelings of love and devotion and attachment it generally had to be felt. So vampires could feel and Buffy could feel that she was very much in love with Spike now matter what Slayer Spike said. It wasn't a physical thing and it was a sex thing and it wasn't some weird twisted vampire way of viewing things. It was real and it was burning and Buffy hated it because it made her Spike's lost little puppy. 

"Fuck the sooner we get out of this dimension the better. I'm done with fucking shit. God I need something to drink." Buffy said as she left the caves. She had no doubt Spike would be returning to the house and would make his way down to the basement and lock himself in. despite being utterly exhausted Buffy decided to stop by the Alibi Room and throw back some liquor.

* * *

"That didn't go well. In fact on a scale of one to ten, ten meaning it went absolutely fabulous and we have nothing to worry about and one meaning it was worse the World War two, I'd say it was oh… negative on million!" Maddy said and Brian had to agree with her. They had only been in their different dimensions for two days and already some innocent bystanders were mauled. 

"I don't think it was that bad. They could have killed each other. Besides we need some patience. Rome wasn't built in a day." The Voice said. 

"Yeah but I could be sent to the fiery depths of a hell dimension in a shorter amount of time. This was a stupid idea. The Powers said for things to let it work its course. They voted on it. Why couldn't we just have let it be?" Brian said. 

"Because you didn't see what I saw. It will not be pretty if they do not see each other. It's working we just have to wait." The Voice said in a wary tone. 

"Oh don't you get all wary on us. You didn't even do the work. I feel… I feel incompetent. The spell should have worked by now." Maddy said. 

"It worked just fine. This is how it was supposed to be. We just have to wait a bit." The Voice said. "Someone… well two people could be dead and we're just sitting around here not doing anything.' Brian said. 

"They aren't dead. Pretty badly injured, but everything happens for their own reasons. We must see why they were allowed to get mauled." The Voice said. 

"Uh because you didn't do anything to stop it. Look if this thing gets any more violent we should be allowed to intervene. You know just a little." Maddy said. 

"Yeah I agree with Mad." Brian said. 

"Some how I knew you would say that." The Voice said. 

"Well you are all knowing. So are we allowed to intervene if things go south?" Brian asked. 

"Yes, but only if it's in a dire situation." The Voice said. 

"Any more days like this and this whole mission will be a 'dire situation'." 

A/N: Wow, okay I updated. Will I be updating soon. I don't know it really depends. Will I be leaving this story alone for five months again? I don't know depends, but most likely not. Hopeful it won't be more then a month, but who knows. I've got so many ideas swimming in my head for the other stories I'm working on. This story won't go on hiatus again like that… hopefully. I'll try not to abandon it seeing as I think people like it. 52 reviews for eight chapters. Thanks you guys rock. Okay please review!


	10. Duel With The Arch Nemisseses?

A/N: Okay here you guys go. An update and it didn't' take me five months either. YAY! Thank you to all the reviews. Umm... pruningshears... I don't know why people Riley Bash. I know I do it because I really didn't like the Riley character... although I wasn't that bad. I didn't make him stupid or mean or anything... or at least I don't think it did. I just had him mauled to further the plot, which it did. As to why other people Riley bash... I have no clue. Why does anyone bash... they don't like the character. Hope that answers your question. I'm not trying to be mean or anything. If you like the Riley character then good for you. He just rubbed me the wrong way that's all so I took it out on him here. All right enough of that on to the story! ENJOY!

Disclaimer: No they're not mine, but Christmas is around the corner... okay like four months... it's a really big corner.

Distribution: Go ahead if you think it's good enough. Just tell me where my baby's going.

Spoilers: BtVS season 6 'Dead Things' I know going backwards, but it works.

**Chapter 10:**

The smell of old gym socks filled the air. Buffy turned her head around. She could smell it as if she was buried in thousands of old gym socks. It was making her sick. Of course vampires didn't get sick, but it was... a figure of speech.

Buffy looked over at the people helping her patrol. Apparently none of them smelled the stinky gym socks smell. Buffy sighed thinking it was probably another one of her vampire enhanced powers. Smell... who would want to be able to smell things that were far away.

She had been stuck in this dimension as a vampire for a little over a week now. Things had not improved. She still had to sit at home, bored out of her mind, and no one was really talking to her. Tara made an effort, but Xander seemed wary and Willow was to interested on the spell that was used to send her here.

Spike had been angry with her as well. he only talked to her when it was absolutely necessary and that turned out to be far less then Buffy would have imagined. The whole thing that took place after that Renee girl had been mauled because of the Vampire Buffy's feelings had stung Spike quite a bit and Buffy was really wishing she could take it back.

Renee had turned out to be just fine and was actually very grateful Buffy and Spike were able to get rid of the Suvolte eggs. She hid her excitement because of the fact she had been mauled but had claimed it an occupational hazard and told Spike not to worry. He of course told her he hadn't worried because he didn't entirely like her in the first place.

She frowned and her husband Sam looked as though he was going to say something, but Spike threw him a venomous look so he didn't say anything. Sam was obviously not a stupid man, but Buffy thought he might have wanted to ask if Spike was also a vampire. He certainly acted like it on many occasions.

So here they were, patrolling in one big group all the Scoobies together. Dawn was over at Janice's and Spike had made it a point to check everything out before he let Dawn leave. Buffy would have done it, but it would seem a little weird if she went in there acting like the big sister. Spike was actually very keen on performing his big brother duties. He went over to Janice's and talked with her mom knowing for sure there wouldn't be any vampire necking going on.

No one commented on Spike's behavior having probably seen it before when he was the Slayer Spike. It wasn't entirely too hard to manage. Buffy knew Spike was very fond of Dawn and would do anything to insure that Dawn was safe. It was one of the reasons she had always gone to him when Dawn needed protecting.

"Does anyone smell that? I mean it's really rancid. Someone tell me they can smell that." Buffy said.

She had been smelling the dirty socks smell for over an hour and it just wasn't going away. Xander looked at her oddly and sniffed at the air. It was clear he didn't smell anything, but you could never go wrong with a vampire's nose.

"Um... what am I smelling for?" He said after sniffing the air and getting nothing.

"Smells like old gym socks. Really bad stinky gym socks." Buffy said.

"Hmmm... nope I think I would smell old gym socks smell." Xander said.

"It could be a demon some way off. I've never heard of a gym sock smelling demon though." Willow said.

"It's a Carrion Feeder." Anya and Spike said at the same time.

"Come again?" Xander said slightly perplexed. It was a little hard to get used to how this Spike seemed to know a lot more then the other Spike had known.

"Carrion Feeder... digs up the dead and then eats them. Prone to cemeteries a lot of them time but I've never seen one in Sunnydale." Spike said.

"Oh that's... that's just gross and sick and did I mention gross." Xander said.

"Yes you did. Don't worry Honey. Carrion Eaters don't go after the living although they do have sharp clothes to rip through flesh. It's quite a thing to see them it especially if it's a fresh kill." Anya said clearly not realizing that this did not making Xander feel any better.

"Okay so how do you kill it?" Buffy asked ready for a little action.

"Well... you don't." Spike said.

"What you mean I don't. Is it like... immortal or something?" Buffy asked.

"No, Buffy it's not immortal. They can be killed by anything. What Spike meant to say is that Carrion Eaters aren't really a bother to the world. It's a known fact that they're harmless." Anya said.

"I don't call digging up dead bodies and making them their midnight snacks harmless." Xander said. "Well of course it seems... seedy, but Carrion Eaters are really peacefully. Spike's right I've never seen one in Sunnydale. They usually stay in one place." Anya said.

"And they usual travel in packs. Thousands of those smelly little buggers all chomping away. Some people use them for disposing the bodies of people they've killed and stuff like that." Spike said.

"Well we should check it out anyway. I mean what if it is one of those times. You said it yourself they don't usually come to Sunnydale although that would be a first considering demons are like drawn here. Someone could have... summoned it." Buffy finished off lamely.

"Well it doesn't feel like anyone did any magic. I'd be able to sense it, but they could have done it somewhere else and then came here." Tara said speaking for the first time that night. She had been rather quiet since the essences switch had taken place. She came over to research and that was about it. She had gone on a few coffee dates with Willow, but nothing seemed to be final.

"All right, but if I can smell that thing from her I'm sure it's going to be even worse the closer I get." Buffy said.

"Well if you would practice tuning your senses like I told you to do you wouldn't have this problem." Spike muttered in Buffy's direction. He knew it was childish not to speak to her, but he couldn't just let it go. She had said some pretty hurtful things that reinforced the idea of leaving. It had been a long time coming.

"Sorry, but I don't know how and you're never around to teach me. I didn't realize how much I work until I was on the outsiders perspective." Buffy said.

"Well... yeah okay but... oh never mind." Spike said swinging his axe over his shoulder and walking at a brisk pace in front of the group.

"Boy is he PMSing." Anya said.

"He's just pissy about not being back in his own dimension." Buffy said only partially lying.

"Yeah well we really wish we could be of more help, but I don't think the spell we're looking for is known to witches. It's too powerful to pull off." Willow said.

"So the 'Higher Being' thing is still an option then." Buffy said.

"From what I gleamed on Giles's phone call it could be any number of Higher Powers that float around the dimensions." Willow said. She had had a lengthy conversation with Giles after the Renee incident. Giles had told her he would get the local coven working on a possible solution, but in the mean time to just keep an eye on Buffy and Spike.

"Yeah that's all well and good, but do I sound selfish if I say I would like my best friend back. Not that you're not a good person Slayer Buffy, but well... I guess I miss him like you miss your other dimension." Xander said. He had opted to call her Slayer Buffy to avoid the confusion in his own head.

Buffy could understand why Xander was so anxious to get the other Spike back. The wedding was getting closer and closer and if things didn't change soon Spike would be standing in as Xander's best man. Buffy was also upset that she wouldn't be there for her Xander's wedding. She really was looking forward to being Anya's Maid of Honor despite the ugly dresses.

"It's not selfish Xan, it's normal." Buffy said. "This Spike is interesting though. I mean he's less... sanctimonious." Anya said.

"Spike's not sanctimonious!" Willow said.

"Oh sure he is. And self-righteous. I think it's a slayer thing. No offense Slayer Buffy." Anya said also opting to call Buffy Slayer Buffy.

"None taken... I think. You really think he's... okay." Buffy said.

"Yes, I mean he adds a certain... flavor that would be missing if he wasn't here. I mean the other Buffy... you know the Vampire Buffy. I always liked her. I think it was a demon thing." Anya said.

"Hmm... I never thought about it, but it's kind of true. I can argue with him and it not mean anything. I get that with Vampire Buffy. I guess I never realized that she was actually... part of the team. I mean not that I like her better then you or this Spike better then the other Spike... okay I'm going to shut up now." Xander said.

"It's okay Xander. No one's better and no ones worse. There has to be a balance. In order for Spike to be the Slayer Buffy has to be a Vampire and in order for Buffy to be the Slayer Spike has to be a vampire. It's a balance." Willow said.

Buffy didn't say anything. It did seem like it was a balance, but that didn't mean she and Spike balance each other... did it. Buffy stopped thinking when she saw a big, hairy, brownish green demon looming over what looked like a girls body. The girl wasn't moving and the demon smelled like old gym socks that Buffy assumed that it was the Carrion Eater.

"You didn't say it was ugly on top of smelly." Xander joked.

"Well I thought ugly and smelly went together naturally." Anya said thinking he was serious. Spike was standing a bit closer then Buffy and the rest were and he was looking around to see if there was anyone. He didn't see anyone and he walked over to the group.

"I don't see anyone and I can't sense anyone although I wouldn't considering I haven't got my vampire abilities. Buffy... see if you can sense anyone around." Spike said.

"What how?" Buffy asked.

"Well just closer your eyes and try to focus on the heartbeats near you." Spike said. Buffy sighed and closed her eyes. She took a few unneeded breaths before she could here five distinct heartbeats and the blood rushing through them.

"Okay I've got five right now... what now?"

"Well let your brain wander a little further. You should be able to hear them if they're pretty close." Spike said and Buffy did what she was told. It was a very odd experience and one she hoped she never had to relive, but soon she could hear three heartbeats in the distances.

"Okay I hear three over by that tree." Buffy said pointing over to the trees facing the Carrion Eater.

"Good looks like some people did summon that smelly little bugger. Let's go." Spike said walking off past the Carrion Eater who was to intent on its meal to even realize that they were walking by. He walked into the thicket of trees and looked around for people.

Buffy was trying to use her smelling sense to find the guys and the rest were just looking around. It didn't take them long to spot Warren, Jonathan and the other guy the recent pains in the Scoobies collective asses.

"Well, well, well if it isn't my arch nemesises." Buffy said although they were looking at her worriedly.

"Oh right Spike's arch nemesises." Buffy corrected herself.

"So are you the gits that summoned the Carrion Eater?" Spike asked.

"Yeah so what of it. You can't take us were Gods." The other guy said.

"What are you going to do Slayer... kill us?" Warren said challengingly obviously ignoring the other guy. He was looking at Spike who was looking at him as though he were a tinker toy.

"You have no idea what you're messing with little boy." Spike said.

"Yeah and neither do you." Warren spat back.

"Hey guys shouldn't we stop that thinking from eating that poor girls body. I don't think her parents would be keen on the fact that she's dead much less mauled." Xander said.

"Yeah but they'll take satisfaction that her killer is behind bars and hopefully becoming someone's bitch." Anya said.

"Yeah we should do that. Tara maybe you could do some sort of..."

"Already on it." Tara said interrupting Buffy as she began to chant. The Carrion Eater looked up and for a few seconds held Tara's gaze before thumping away from the body. Xander went over to the girl and carried her body over to the group.

"Well the good thing is she's not that badly mauled. Bad news is... well she's dead." Xander said. Buffy glanced over at the body and saw that it was Warren's ex-girlfriend Katrina.

"You sick bastard! What she wised up and left you so you killed her!" Buffy yelled as she launched at the three men that were standing in front of her.

She was prevented from kicking their asses by Spike who was holding on to her jacket collar. She looked up at him and glared.

"You can't kill them remember. Chip." Spike said. Buffy looked at him sullenly and Spike let go of her collar.

"Okay here's how this is going to work. Me and Buffy here are gonna escort your sorry asses to the jail. Then you're going to make a nice little confession while Xander and Anya take the body to the hospital or file a report or something. It'll be nice and hopefully not bloody." Spike said and this surprised Buffy. She thought Spike would be all for gore. He of course was looking a little worn around the edges and a simple save of the day would be nice.

"You think I'm just going to let you take me to jail. I'd die before..." "Oh shut it Warren. We did something wrong and we deserve to pay. I won't give you any trouble I swear." Jonathan said and Buffy was glad to see that one of them had sense.

"Well I'm not going to go down like that. Andrew... summon the big guns." Warren said.

The Andrew guy began to chant and Buffy and Spike looked slightly worried as did the rest of the Scoobies.

"Tara can you stop him?" Buff said looking over at Tara.

"No one can stop us..."

"Oh shut your gob." Spike said backhanding Warren who fell to the ground. Andrew flinched but kept chanting.

Spike was about to hit him as well when he was stopped by a big demon that merely flicked at Spike and Spike was sent flying backwards. There were two of the very large demons. They had long pig snouts and sharp horns on their heads. They were an ugly gray color and their skins seemed to be slimy. It also had what looked like talons for fingers. They had to have been at least six feet tall and they were drooling heavily and grunting Andrew seemed pleased with himself.

"Holy Shit what are those things!" Xander asked.

"I'm not sure... I think they're Dev'shink demons, but I can't be sure. They look like a cross between Dev'shink demons and a pig." Anya said.

"Well we gotta fight them." Buffy said.

"Are you crazy we're down a Slayer and I don't think we're going to do much damage." Xander said.

"Well we can't just let these things roam wild. We've got to kill them... and don't you dare try to escape!" Buffy yelled over to Andrew who was helping Warren to his feet. Andrew didn't seem too concerned with Buffy's yelling and still made his way to escape using the big demons as cover.

"Okay we've got to kill these demons and not let those two get away. Willow, Tara do some sort of spell to hold them. Okay Xander, Anya let's try and kill these things." Buffy said.

"Shouldn't someone go see if Spike's all right? He hasn't gotten up." Anya said.

"Okay yeah you do that." Buffy said suddenly remembering spike was very human and could have been very hurt. Anya shook her head and ran over to were Spike was lying limply on the ground. Xander took a cross bow suddenly wishing he had more weapons. Buffy could understand the feeling although she had let Spike talk her into carrying an axe.

"All right... let's do this." Buffy said charging at the big demons. They seemed utterly confused after their first intial attack on Spike. The obviously were waiting for some kind of order from Andrew, but Andrew had suddenly become very still.

Buffy ventured a glance over to where Willow and Tara were sitting. Tara looked as though she were concentrating very hard about something and Willow was most likely acting as her anchor. Buffy assumed she had put some kind of whammy on Andrew and Warren to keep them from moving or talking. It was easier for Buffy and Xander to surprise attack the demons although it didn't take long from them to realize the threat and start attacking back.

Punches and kicks were thrown and Xander stood a little ways away shooting a bolt at them every once in awhile although it just served to make them angry. Buffy wasn't having much luck with the axe. Although their skin seemed slick and easily penetrable it was just a smoke screen. Their skin was actually hard under all the ooze. Buffy was hacking and slashing, but wasn't leaving much more then scratches. At one point Anya had stepped into to help. She seemed to have gotten a sword from somewhere and Buffy took a second to try and remember who had brought it before going to attack the demon again.

Spike and Xander weren't having much luck with their demon although he was riddled with crossbows and swaying slightly. Spike began to hack more away with the axe, but he found the same resistance Buffy had encountered. The demon hit him throwing him a little ways away. Spike lay on the ground for a few seconds before scrambling to his feet. Xander was still loading his crossbow and shooting them at the beast. It seemed the demon no longer thought Spike a threat and was going after Xander now.

Xander tried his best not to be terrified, but the words 'I'm going to die' were running through his head. Spike saw the demon and saw how close it was to Xander and leapt in front of Xander to stop the demon's attack. Spike let out a sharp cry of pain when the demons claws dug into his chest. Spike tried to muster up the strength to fight back, but the demon kept on it's assault.

Xander watched on in horror as the demon mauled at Spike and tried to get in a clean shot. It was useless. Spike was in the way and the demon wasn't moving until it thought Spike was dead. Spike kept trying to hack his way into the demons chest just like the demon was trying to do to him. Finally Spike, after losing a lot of blood during the assault put his hands up and tried to break the demons neck.

It was tough considering the demon was keeping its head up avoiding attack. Spike knew it was his only option and when his hands connected with the demons neck he twisted it violently. When the demon fell to the ground dead Spike fell to. He could vaguely hear someone calling his name. It sound like a few people, but he was to drained to care. Xander run up to him.

"Oh God, man. Okay it's not that bad. Really it's fixable." Xander started to babble.

"No... just... take this... go help the other... help Buffy." Spike said as he coughed up some blood. It had been a long time since he had a heart beat and now he could fell it slowing. He knew he was dying. Xander took the axe and nodded his head.

Buffy had been fighting the other demon with a little trouble but Anya's help was proving to be a good thing. Somewhere in the middle of the battle she and Anya had traded weapons because Anya was better with the axe and Buffy was better with the sword.

She didn't hear anything from Xander and Spike and didn't bother to look over there because she didn't want to be distracted. She did turn when she heard Spike's name being screamed by Xander and Willow and Tara. Buffy and Anya turned around to see that Spike had fallen to the ground and he was bleeding... badly.

"Oh no!" Buffy said as she kicked the demon she was fighting. The demon soared through the air and she made her way over to Spike not concerned with Anya or the other demon. She was almost half way there when she felt it... when she heard it.

_No... **NO**! You can't let him die again. You were here and you let him die again! **NO**! He can't die! Not again. I can't go through this again! **SHIT**! I have to help him! Have to save! No! He can't die... hecan'tdie... **HE CAN'T DIE**!!!_

Buffy fell to the ground. She thought she was going to be sick for the second time that night. She looked over at Spike who wasn't moving on the ground. She could feel something. Something the other Buffy was trying to get through to her. It was some feeling she was having. Buffy knew one thing for certain was that the other Buffy didn't want Spike dead. She could almost call the feeling love.

It was so strong and so real and Buffy wondered if this was how Spike felt when they were on patrol and a vampire got to close. If he waited everyday for the day that might take her away again, but it couldn't be because Spike couldn't love like this. These emotions couldn't be real, but the voice in her head kept telling her to get up and help him. It kept chanting that Spike couldn't die. the feelings were real enough, but they couldn't be.

"Buffy watch out!" Someone screamed.

Buffy turned around to see the demon charging at her. She turned around and waited for it to come closer. When it was so close she could feel its breath she rammed the sword through to where it's heart should be if it was in the same spot a humans heart was. The demon roared when it was stabbed and drool and a little demon blood fell onto Buffy.

The demon swayed a bit before falling on top of Buffy. Buffy rolled the demon off of her and went over to Spike. She checked his pulse. It was weak, but it was still there. There was still a chance that he might live. This wasn't going to take one of their homemade jobs though. He had to get to a hospital they could blame it all on Warren and Andrew and Jonathan. Buffy was sure Jonathan would go along with whatever story they came up with.

Buffy picked Spike up and walked over to the rest of the Scoobies.

"He's alive, but we have to get him to a hospital." Buffy said urgently. Xander walked over to Andrew and shook him.

"If he dies know that even the safest place in the world won't keep you safe. I swear if he dies..." Xander trailed off, but Andrew got the general picture as did Jonathan and Warren.

"Willow, Tara take these dead men walking to the jail. Anya go with them. Me and Buffy will take Spike and the girl to the hospital. We shouldn't leave the girl here considering the demon corpses. Let's go." Xander said picking up the girls body and walking of in the direction of the hospital.

Anya, Willow and Tara didn't argue as they shuffled Warren, Andrew and Jonathan to the jail.

Buffy followed after Xander. She looked at Spike's wounds. They weren't as bad as she had seen. She had gotten worse sometimes. He was still bleeding though and he was unconscious. He had obviously lost a lot of blood, but he was in a Slayer body so he would probably make it.

The feelings had calmed though and Buffy was trying not to focus on how broken the voice in her head sounded. She focused on getting to the hospital as fast as she could. Getting Spike fixed was the only thing she would allow on her mind.

* * *

"Well that went ass up." Maddy said.

"Yes I guess it did." The Voice said.

"Okay so we're stepping in right. I mean she's got all that emotion and she still doesn't believe it. We have to do something. you did say that the next time it went south we'd step in." Brian said.

"Yes and I am true to me word. we must wait until he is healed though." The Voice said.

"Oh goody another trip through dimensions."

A/N: Okay I couldn't let the Warren Katrina death thing have already happened. So I brought it back and did it my way. How did Tara know about the Buffy/Spike romance? Let's just say that happened, but not the dead body thing. Okay, so don't worry, it's too early to kill off Spike... not that I'm killing off Spike. No that would be bad. Just know he ain't gonna die. all right so please REVIEW. I LOVE REVIEWS!


	11. Listen To Yourself

A/N: Sorry for the long wait. My brain has not been Spuffy centered for quiet some time. I've been off doing Spike/Angel stuff and a little Harry Potter with some Queer as Folk mixed in for good measure. Promise I'll try and put my brain is Spuffy mode some times for these updates. ENJOY!

Disclaimer: No they're not mine, but Christmas is around the corner… okay like four months… it's a really big corner.

Distribution: Go ahead if you think it's good enough. Just tell me where my baby's going.

Spoilers: Um… Something a little different for you folks. Spoliers this time are for seasons three and four of Angel and Shanshu to LA and some episodes in season two. I could tell you the exact episodes but there are too many. If you missed a whole lot in those season s then you won't get what I'm talking about. It basically reads straight thought so if you don't know what I'm talking about it's alright.

Chapter 11:

Buffy sat in an ugly hospital chair waiting for news on Spike. He was mauled pretty badly and the doctors didn't even bat an eyelash when the Scoobies had told them it was a couple of wild dogs that had attacked them. Xander was taken to an examining room for stitches on his arm and forehead. Anya was also taken to a room complaining about how she was going to look ugly for her wedding.

The doctor's just looked at her peculiarly and ushered her off to a room. Willow, Tara and Buffy made their way to waiting chairs and sat in silence. Buffy new they were sad about Spike even though it wasn't there Spike. It was Buffy's Spike. The cocky vampire who thought he could take on the world, but really couldn't.

He had saved Xander if Xander's ranting were anything to go by. He had jumped in and stopped Xander from being brutally mauled. The Spike Buffy knew not the Slayer Spike who the Scoobies held in high regard. The Spike who had saved Xander had been none other then the vampire Buffy said could never change… could never be good.

If it was all for Buffy's benefit, to show Buffy that he could be good it was a very risky thing to do. Some how Buffy didn't think it was. Some part of her was telling her that it wasn't for her… it was for Spike. Spike had wanted to save Xander for whatever unknown reason. Spike had wanted to help.

Buffy tried hard not to reflect on the feelings she had felt when she Spike lying a few feet away from her dying from blood loss. They felt so strong and real and they hadn't exactly gone away. She had to keep telling herself he'd be fine because some part of her was panicking.

She had wondered if that was how Spike felt when she died if that was how Spike felt every time Buffy took a stupid chance on patrol. If that's how he felt every time Buffy talked about wanting to go back to heaven. Had Buffy underestimated the severity of his… feelings? Did he really love her? Could she love him?

All these questions floated around in her head as they waited for word on Spike. A newly patched up Xander was explaining what happened to the police and how Warren and Jonathan and that other guy were involved. The 'Evil Trio' was taken to jail. Jonathan had confessed all to the cops from what Xander had said. He had gone to the police station with them and the cops had given him a ride to the hospital.

Xander had just enough time to see Jonathan breakdown to the cops and confess everything. All the robberies and weird things that the cops couldn't find suspects for were explained away by Jonathan who was careful not to reveal too much of the supernatural that was involved.

The cops had come in with Xander to the hospital and had question Tara and Willow. Buffy had slipped off to the side knowing that their information would be good enough. She couldn't talk to the police because of her vampire status.

It would seem to weird. The nurse had tried to get her patched up, but she said she didn't need it. This was true. The cuts she had that were deep were healing over nicely that by the time they got to the hospital they were nothing more then scratches.

Now they were all sitting in the waiting room wondering what could be up with Spike. Buffy tried to reason with herself that with his Slayer powers he would be healed up in a jiffy. He had some deep stab wounds but Buffy had had worse herself. They had already been healing by the time she got to the hospital with Spike cradled in her arms.

"They aren't telling us anything. He has to be all right. I mean… he's the Slayer." Xander said breaking the silence that had come over the group.

He had been lost in his own little world. The Spike that was currently residing in his best friend's body was much like the Buffy he had gotten to know. He was rude and obnoxious and had an air of bravado to him. Yet he had saved his life. He had jumped in front of that ugly monster and had sacrificed himself so Xander could escape with a few minor cuts.

"Yeah, I mean I've had worse during my time as the Slayer." Buffy said to him.

"He's going to be fine. I mean he has to be. We got him here in time." Willow said. Tara shook her head and squeezed Willow's hand in reassurance.

"Spike's tough. He can take a lot." Anya said.

They went back into their own little worlds again each thinking about how it was just going to be a normal patrol night and how everything had went horribly wrong. There were no words to describe how unbelievably bad tonight had gone… how unbelievably bad everything seemed to be going since the whole dimension swap. Buffy looked around at the people surrounding her.

"Hey guys does everyone seem… frozen to you." Buffy said. They all looked up to see that everything in the hospital had stopped.

"Okay this is freaky." Xander said. He got up and looked outside of the hospital.

"Cars and people are all stopped outside too." He said.

"What do you think it is?" Willow asked.

"If I had to guess I'd say magic." Anya said and Willow rolled her eyes.

"Pretty strong magic to freeze everything… except us. Whoever did this must be mighty powerful." Tara said.

"Why thank you. Actually I am pretty powerful… not to toot my on horn or anything." The group looked up to see a handsome man sitting on the counter of the nurse's station.

He had brown hair and brown eyes and seemed tall even though he was sitting. He was fashionably dressed in black slacks and a maroon button up shirt with a black tie and black jacket. He looked as though he had stepped out of the pages of some fashion magazine or something. There was a playful smirk on his face that Buffy thought she had seen before.

"Who are you?" Buffy asked.

"Oh you probably don't recognize me. I think I looked something like this the last time." The man said snapping his fingers as he hopped off of the desk. Suddenly his whole appearance changed so he looked like a homeless man with dirty clothes and big bottle glasses.

"You're… you're the crazy guy that came to my job asking about the fish and the Doublemeat nuggets." Buffy said pointing at him.

"Yeah sorry about the look," The man said snapping his fingers again to appear as the sharp dressed man.

"But 'The Voice' thought I should go incognito. Whatever I just think he likes seeing me looking all ragged. Can't stand that there's actual good looking people out there. Course I've never really seen him so he might be good looking too. Whatever I'm not crazy by the way." The man said.

"Wow that was a babble that would beat even Willow." Xander said.

"Yeah sorry got away from myself for a minute there, but I digress. I came here for a reason." The man said.

"Really and what reason would that be?" Buffy asked. "Well… to scold all of you." The man said.

"Really, why do we need… scolding?" Willow asked.

"Oh many reasons. If I were to get biblical we could be here for days… perhaps weeks, but it's a good thing I don't listen to those Higher Beings. They think they know better, but really they don't know shit from shinola." The man said.

"You know the Higher Beings? Are they what's involved in this dimensional switch thing?" Willow asked.

"Well yeah, you're on the right track with that one, but there was a bit of an… uproar. We, um, well we're not exactly the most organized bunch. I mean we've got so many champions running around that we can't keep track of them… and even more rouges out there that we can't keep track of as well… but I digress again. I do that a lot." The man said.

"Why don't you start by telling us who you are." Buffy said.

"Okay, well my names Brian… pretty plain for someone of my power, but it's my name." Brian said.

"So, Brian are you like Whistler. Immortal demon sent down to even the score between good and evil." Buffy asked.

"Nope, wrong on so many levels. I'm not a demon and I'm not immortal… at least I don't think… I'm somewhat of an… well an Angel… guardian Angel actually." Brian said.

"Don't angels have wings… and harps and Birkenstock, maybe a bright shiny halo." Xander said.

"Oh please… well actually we're supposed to walk around like that, but gross. Can you imagine the tastelessness? Sorry I like a bit of taste in my wardrobe. Besides the big ups find out what I'm doing they might just send me to the bad place anyway." Brian said.

"Wait so what exactly are you?" Buffy asked.

"Well ever see the show 'Charmed'." Brian said.

Willow and Tara shook their heads yes as did Anya, but Xander and Buffy shook their heads no.

"Well three out of five ain't bad. Anyway they were pretty close at getting the Guardian Angel thing right except we don't answer to 'Elders', we aren't called 'White Lighters', we can't die because we're already dead under any circumstances, and we were all witches at one point or another. Pretty powerful witches." Brian said.

"So, you're dead." Tara said.

"Have been for quiet some time actually. Most of the older ones like myself retire and move on to heaven. Just never found the need to. I get to help make decisions that run the world and I've got power. Besides I work with my best friend so what's not to love." Brian said.

"I sense a but coming." Willow said.

"Well you'd be right there. The Powers that Be… those are the guys I answer to, well they make up most of the decisions, based on the information we give them. They decide if you're ready to die, be born, apocalypse and what not. It's like one big negotiation up there." Brian said.

"They deal with everyone's death. That's a lot to talk about in one day." Xander said.

"Well yeah, but time moves relatively slow up there and most of the time your Guardian Angel decides the course of your life. The Powers only interject on the big things of their warriors, but they've been messing up for quiet sometime." Brian said.

"How so?" Buffy asked.

"Well I think it started… when Darla came back." Brian said.

"Darla came back!" Buffy, Xander and Willow shouted.

"Yup, guessing Angel didn't tell you about him. Well he's really not my problem. The Voice has to deal with his destiny, but anyway. Darla came back and she and Angel did the wild thing and a baby was conceived." Brian said.

"What! Vampires can have kids!" Xander screamed.

"No, just those two. It was foretold. Anyway no one was really sure what this kid was going to bring. Most of us thought it was the apocalypse and others, a very select few, thought it was going to be peace. So what do the Powers do… they send the kid to a hell dimension hoping it would give them some time. Well that's when the uproar started, but now I'm forgetting you guys." Brian said.

"In this time, Buffy dies, which was a real screw up. The Spike here dies which is another real screw up. I wasn't in on that, but if I had been I would have said no. I mean as your Guardian Angel Buffy I knew it wasn't your time to die yet, but everyone was so busy with the Angel Darla Connor thing that they just thought they'd kill you for a little while to avoid some confusion." Brian said.

"So I died to give the Powers time to… get unconfused." Buffy said.

"Exactly! But there was a balance that Maddy and I were just beginning to see. Maddy's the Guardian Angel of the other Spike… you know the Slayer Spike." Brian said.

"You watch every dimension?" Willow said.

"Guardian Angel's watch every dimension they're assigned to, yes, but I only watch Buffy. There's just the Slayer Buffy and the Vampire Buffy." Brian said.

"You watch over me." Buffy said.

"Yup."

"That most be… tough." Xander said.

"It is, I have to make sure that both Buffy's are going down the right path. So when there was only one Spike and one Buffy left and they were both vampires we saw a disturbance, but leave it to the Powers to not care." Brian said.

"But Spike was brought back. I brought him back… we brought him back." Willow said.

"Well yeah, but you think you just came up with that idea all on your own? Sorry to burst the bubble, but I had a long talk with your Guardian Angel and he agreed we had to bring back Buffy and Spike so he pulled a few strings." Brian said.

"So what happened that's causing everything to go wrong?" Anya asked.

"Well there was an uproar on the Angel front. Cordelia was brought up as a Higher Power… which was not part of the path." Brian said.

"What's that got to do with Buffy and Spike?" Xander asked although he was concerned about Cordelia. There was something wrong going on in LA and Xander wanted to know, but Spike had to get back to his own dimension before anything could happen.

"How about everything. There was an uproar with the Angels. Apparently someone thought it would be a good idea to bring Cordelia up as a Higher Being and then send her back down again, but not as Cordelia. It's kind of hard to explain, but Cordelia was supposed to give birth to a Goddess that was supposed to bring world peace. It was a dumb idea, but one that would keep Connor, that's Angel's son, in play without further confusing anybody. It was destined to fail though." Brian said.

"You talk about it like it already happened." Tara said.

"It was avoided, thank god, by The Voice. He got word of what was happening and made sure that Cordelia wasn't pulled up into heaven. Good thing to he did it just in time. Of course this meant that Angels couldn't be trusted anymore. The stupid guy who thought he could solve the worlds problems was Connor's Guardian Angel. He didn't want his charge to die because who wants that, but he screwed it up for the rest of us." Brian said.

"Again what does this have to do with Spike and Buffy." Xander asked.

"Hold up I'm getting there. It's a fairly complicated story. Even though the balance between Angel and his people was restored, the balance here was shaky, probably worse then shaky. It was pretty bad… has been pretty bad for quiet some time now. The Voice, he saw something. He's a seer. He saw great pain here in Sunnydale, both Sunnydale's due to the balance being disrupted.

"The problem being that instead of working together, Buffy and Spike were working separately. That cannot happen apparently, because your destinies are linked together." Brian said.

"Wait Buffy and Spike are linked together?" Anya asked.

"In a way. How I'm not sure. I'm really not allowed to see that far into the future so don't ask. They could just need to work together, but their… issues are getting in the way of that." Brian said with a knowing look on his face.

Buffy flushed. He knew what was going on between her and Spike. It seemed natural if he was really what he said he was. He knew things about her that she didn't even know about herself. He knew her future.

"So when this was brought to the attention of the Powers of course me and Maddy and The Voice expected that they would give us permission to do a little interfering as is our jobs, but what did they say… 'let it run it's course'. You know in the thousands of years that I've been doing this job never once was I told to let it run it's course. Not when it was this big." Brian said clearly irritated with the whole situation.

"So what did you do? I mean you're here now setting things straight in your own twisted little way. And why would the Powers not let you change things?" Anya asked.

"Because they're afraid. They've already got Angel to worry about. Vampires in the everlasting paradise are not something they want up there. I mean that's why Shanshu was created… you'll learn more about that later, hopefully. Spike is a risk… well the vampire Spike just as the vampire Buffy is a risk. They're risks to everything that the Powers hold true. If they can succeed in curbing their bloodlust and evil ways because of their own reasons then it just transcends everything the Powers are about. They're pretty black and white up there." Brian said.

"So they don't want Spike going to heaven… is that a possibility?" Buffy asked.

"A very distinct one if your destinies are linked." Brian said.

"So why the swap? Why'd you switch them." Willow asked.

"Well it was the easiest way to make them see what the other is going through. Kills two birds with one stone really. We figured that if they knew what the other was going through they'd lighten up, maybe talk, have a conversation realize that they need each other. I don't know but that idea seems to be going up in flames because instead of realizing what the other is really about you're avoiding it." Brian said turning to Buffy.

"What is it you want me to find out. I mean if you're supposed to know everything about me why don't you just tell me." Buffy said.

"Ah see this is where I can not help you Buffy. I've been doing it for twenty-one long years now and you're quiet a handful… not to mention the other you… you're both more then I ever bargained for." Brian said.

"So you don't have any answers for me."

"Here's one." Brian said.

He turned to the other Scoobies and waved his hand in front of them. They all froze like everyone else in the hospital and outside.

"What does that mean?" Buffy asked.

"Well, I could be cryptic, because I'm good at it, but I'll give it to you straight. Close your eyes and listen for a second… what do you hear?" Brian asked.

"I don't hear anything. Everyone's frozen there's nothing to hear." Buffy said.

"Ah, but that's not true is it. Close your eyes again and think. What do you hear?" Brian said.

Buffy closed her eyes again and listened for whatever it was she was supposed to be hearing. Everything was deathly quiet. Nothing was moving. She couldn't hear any sound coming from Brian but she figured that was because he was dead. She couldn't hear anything.

"I don't hear anything… well except my own voice now, but…"

"That's what you need to hear. You need to hear you. Not everyone else. Everyone else is just background noise. You need to learn how to tune them out… without me freezing them." Brian said.

"So what you're saying is I need to listen to myself." Buffy said.

"You need to follow what you want… what you think is best. With the occasional nudge from the other you. Just feel what you're feeling and don't let anyone tell you that it's wrong… not even yourself." Brian said.

"Wait you said I was supposed to be listening to myself. How am I gonna do that when you told me to listen to the other me. I thought you said you weren't going to be cryptic." Buffy complained.

"Sorry that's the best I got. You'll understand when the time comes. I have to go. The Powers can sense when I'm down here. If I get caught I'm in for fiery depths of a hell dimension and then you're really screwed." Brian said.

"Okay I'm left not knowing much." Buffy said.

"You know enough. Hopefully no more trips to the hospital. Just listen to what the other Buffy is trying to tell you. If you can understand her then you'll understand Spike. That'll lead you to where you wanna be." Brian said.

"You sound so confident." "Well they didn't give me this job for nothing." Brian said as he turned back to the rest of the Scoobies. He walked up to Xander and placed his hand in front of Xander's face.

"What the… did you just freeze us." Xander said noticing that Brian was closer to him then he was a few seconds ago.

"Yeah sorry about that. Had to talk to Buffy alone. Quick question before I go. Did you happen to invite Angel and the gang down for your wedding?" Brian asked.

"No, why would I do that?"

"Because you have to… trust me if you don't there's gonna be some major backlash. Just invite them." Brian said.

"Okay kind of last minute, but I'm sure we can fit them in. How many are there?" Xander asked.

"Well there's Angel, Cordelia, Connor, Gunn, Fred, Lorne… and just invite Wesley. I'm pretty sure they're all back on good terms."

"Okay they're invited. Anything else you want to add?"

"Well, Xander, I'm not your Guardian Angel or anything, but I do know him. He's a good person. Just, she's really the one Xander. Don't let your fear shake you. She's really the one. Remember that." Brian said.

He popped out of the room and everything unfroze.

"Whoa where'd Brian go?" Willow asked

"Had to leave before he was thrown into the fiery depths of hell." Buffy said. She was still thinking about what Brian told her. It seemed complicated, but she was sure she could at least give it a try.

"Looks like we have to have more guests at the wedding. Brian's orders." Xander said.

"Really who?" Willow asked.

"Everyone in LA that's with the LA gang has to come. He said that they needed to come." Xander said.

"I guess we could fit them in no problem. They'll have to be at the same table though." Anya said. They began to discuss arrangements when a doctor came up to them.

"Are any of you here for Mr. William Summers?" He asked kindly.

"We all are." Willow said.

"Well… I have some news for you."

A/N: Fear not gentle reader for Angel and his gang will not be coming for at least three or four chapters and their parts are minimal. Also if you've been following both the Angel and the Buffy universes you know that season three(AtS) and season six (BtVS) happened simultaneously. Well I bumped up season three(AtS) because it fit with what I was doing. So there timelines are officially all wacky. More will be explained when they do make an appearance.

Also there will be some nice Spuffy moments mixed in through the next chapters. They'll bond just like Brian said to do and everything will be light and airy and fun until the next disaster strikes. Sorry for the cliffhanger, but it had to be done because that's the end of the chapter… any longer and it would be two chapters. Okay hope you ENJOYED. PLEASE REVIEW!!!!


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